Agency report
Islamabad, Dec 11: In what is seen as a significant shift in its stand, Pakistan today said it never claimed Jammu and Kashmir to be its integral part and that the dispute is about "aspirations" of Kashmiris.
"First of all Pakistan does not claim Kashmir. Kashmir dispute is about aspirations of Kashmiris," Foreign Office spokesperson Tasleem Aslam told a media briefing here.
"Pakistan never claimed Kashmir to be integral part of Pakistan. What we said is Kashmiris should be able to decide their future. We hope they would opt for Pakistan. This is what they have been saying," she said.
Her remarks drew angry reactions from presspersons who persistently asked on what basis Pakistan could say it has no claim over Kashmir and what happened to slogans like "Kashmir banega Pakistan (Kashmir will be part of Pakistan)".
Clarifying that President Pervez Musharraf, in his interview to a private channel, has not stated Pakistan would give up its stand on Kashmir unilaterally, Aslam said as per UN Security Council resolutions "Pakistan and India are parties to this dispute and Kashmiris have essential say to decide their future".
Aslam denied there was any shift in Pakistan`s stand, saying even the country`s successive constitutions since independence never claimed Kashmir as part of Pakistan.
This was the reason why Pakistan-held Kashmir has a President and Prime Minister, had it been part of Pakistan it should have had a Chief Minister and a Governor, she said.
"For the last 60 years we have never claimed Kashmir to be integral part of Pakistan. That has never been Pakistan`s position," Aslam said.
"I draw your attention to a provision in Pakistan`s constitution. That article (dealing with Kashmir) has always been there. It has remained unchanged and that is in case of plebiscite, (if) Kashmiris chose to accede to Pakistan, even then government of Pakistan would negotiate with the Kashmiri leaders the future status of relationship between the two.
"You do not need any other proof that we have not made any territorial claims on Kashmir. We respect the wishes of Kashmiris. This is where we support them," she said.
About the "Kashmir banega Pakistan" slogan, she said it was "essentially coined by Kashmiris not by Pakistan".
When a journalist referred to her remarks as a "new stand", Aslam shot back saying, "Which new situation? Do we say that azad Jammu and Kashmir (as PoK is referred to officially) is part of Pakistan."
"AJK has its own President and Prime Minister. If we have been claiming it as part of Pakistan, you would have had a Governor and Chief Minister there," she said.
"Please study Pakistan`s historical position from 1947 to this day," Aslam said, adding that Pakistan had not wanted "any forced union and claim that territory."
Asked about Musharraf`s proposals for demilitarisation, self-rule and joint management to resolve the Kashmir issue, she the President talked about a final settlement that was acceptable to all stake holders -- Pakistan, India and the people of Kashmir.
"Once you have a settlement that is acceptable to all the parties, naturally that would be your new position. So where is the conflict," she asked.
"We have not given up our position. Our legal position is the same. I said we never claimed Kashmir to be an integral part of Pakistan. We have always said we would respect the wishes of Kashmiris.
About a "third option", which sought independence for Kashmir, Aslam said, "I cannot comment on that. I do not want to be prejudging the outcome of a settlement that may actually take place."