Pakistan opposition alleges joint statement favours India

Islamabad: Opposition parties have criticised the Pakistan government over the joint statement with India, alleging that it heavily favoured New Delhi at the cost of Islamabad's stance on the Kashmir issue.

The opposition assault was led by Shireen Mazari of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday in parliament as even a key coalition partner expressed reservations over the outcome of talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz at the Heart of Asia conference, the Dawn reported.

"While the statement categorically addressed Indian concerns over the Mumbai trial, what about Samjhauta Express case and Kashmir cause which the government recently took up at the United Nations and kept on boasting about taking such a bold stand," Mazari said in the National Assembly.

Quoting from the joint statement that "the Indian side was assured of the steps being taken to expedite the early conclusion of the Mumbai attack trial," she sought clarification about the difference between "composite" and "comprehensive" bilateral dialogue.

She wondered whether the resumption of bilateral talks meant Pakistan had relinquished its options to use multilateral forums to take up issues, particularly Kashmir.

She questioned the language of the statement and said the prime minister must clarify it on the floor of the house. Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur

Rehman was also of the view that such statements warranted a clarification from the government side because apparently it didn't explain what actually transpired during the talks.

"When Pakistan highlights the issue of Kashmir at the UN under its resolution, India says it's a bilateral issue which requires no international forum. At the bilateral level, the Indian argument has been that Kashmir is its integral part.

Then somebody must explain to this house at what level the government intends to take it up with India," he said. Rehman said that as far as the issue of Kashmir was concerned, under the UN resolution, no one could bar Pakistan from highlighting it at any forum in the world.

He called for strengthening the National Assembly's Kashmir committee which he heads, and making it a powerful arm of parliament.

However, the JUI-F chief, whose party shares the treasury benches with the ruling PML-N, praised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for organising the Heart of Asia ministerial conference on Afghanistan which he believed would go a long way in bringing regional countries together.

Leader of Opposition Khursheed Ahmed Shah, however, reserved harsh comments for the prime minister for his continued absence from the assembly.

"Whom should I address? Empty chairs on the treasury benches? I have decided I will not open the discussion on the presidential address unless the prime minister attends proceedings of the house," he said.