Talks Should Be Limited To Pok, Says Vajpayee

Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee yesterday asserted that there just could not be any dialogue with Pakistan on the two-third part of Jammu and Kashmir in Indian possession.

The bilateral talks between the two countries is confined to only the one-third portion of Kashmir which is under Pakistan's (illegal) occupation, Vajpayee stated.

His categorical assertion, cautioning the Gujral government over its attempts to have friendly relations with Pakistan, came during his speech on the occasion of launch of BJP president L K Advani's country-wide rath yatra.

The friendship cannot be at the cost of Indian national interest, he said. The veteran BJP leader, who was the country's external affairs minister in the Janata regime during 1977-79, also opposed a proposal to set up a working group on Kashmir, mooted during talks between the Indian and Pakistani premiers at the just concluded South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) meeting at Male.

This proposal should not be accepted, there is no need for such a working group (on Kashmir), he said. Vajpayee, referring to a discussion in his meeting with the newly appointed Pakistan High Commissioner .

Said it was a mistake to include Kashmir in the Shimla agreement. We had told Indiraji (then Prime Minister) to get firm assurance from Pakistan about no-attack in future and close the Kashmir subject once and for all using the position of advantage India was enjoying immediately after the 1971 war.

But to our dismay, we gave all concessions to Pakistan, returned their prisoners of war and also included Kashmir in the Simla agreement....It was a mistake....We burnt the copies of the agreement at that time, he said. Now Gujral is going everywhere with the message of friendship, but friendship cannot be at the cost of sacrificing national interests, and we will not allow it.

We cannot allow any one to play with the unity and integritiy of the country, Vajpayee warned. He said he was neither opposed to talks nor to having good relations with Pakistan, but reminded the Gujral government of the parliamentary resolution of redeeming every inch of our land occupied by Pakistan and China.