Pakistan rejects Vajpayee's statement on Kashmir polls

Pakistan on Monday rejected the Indian prime minister's allegation that Islamabad was interfering in elections in Kashmir, and said the momentum of the decisions taken by the leaders of the two countries should not be underminedby unwarranted utterances.

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said last week that groups backed by Pakistan created terror in Kashmir to stop votersfrom taking part in elections.

"The people of Jammu and Kashmir boycotted elections voluntarily without coercion or pressure," spokesman of the Pakistani Foreign Office Masood Khan told the weekly news briefingin Islamabad.

"Such boycotts to elections had taken place in the past as well," the spokesman said.

Masood Khan said Pakistan had not interfered in these electionsand had been very careful and cautious. Although the elections hadno legal basis in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, Pakistan did not comment on them to avoid vitiating the atmosphere, the spokesman said.

However, the spokesman welcomed the reiteration of commitment by the Indian prime minister to the dialogue process, hoping that it would ultimately lead to a summit meeting between the two countries.

"Talks between the two countries and the process that has been initiated should not take a dip," he said.

Masood Khan said the leaders of the two countries have been supporting it and committed their political will to the process. "International community is also backing it," he said.

To a question, the spokesman said there is a road map or calendar of activities but no road map on Kashmir. He said the quest for resolution of the conflict will begin when foreign secretaries and foreign ministers of the two countries meet as perearlier understanding.

Source: Xinhua