Improve ties, but don't forget Kashmir: Pak PM

FRANK TALK: Pakistan PM Yousuf Raza Gillani speaking to Karan Thapar in his first ever interview to CNN-IBN.

        

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Keywords: Yousuf Raza Gillani, Prime Minister

Karan Thapar: Even though I should point out to you that in India many people felt they were good markers towards a solution.

Yousuf Raza Gillani: But in the people-to-people context they want that we should have good relations. And we also want the same. At the same time, we have to have a little thorough exercise on that.

Karan Thapar: General Musharraf, in fact, in his thinking went one step further; he spoke of the possibility of a solution along the principles of self-government and joint management. Although the Indian Government never formally responded to that, the idea got a lot of praise from the Press and from public opinion. Do you agree with that sort of thinking?

Yousuf Raza Gillani: Actually, that was the President’s idea, but this is not the idea of the newly-elected Government.

Karan Thapar: So in many ways you are moving from President Musharraf’s ideas, whether it’s the three parameters, whether it’s the concepts of self-government and joint management.

Yousuf Raza Gillani: It’s not moving away; it’s that we have to apply our mind to that. We have to take the other political forces into confidence because this government is a broad-base government – it’s a coalition of several parties, and we have to take everybody on board.

Karan Thapar: When you say you are not moving away, but at the same time you say you have to apply your mind, are you saying you want to examine these ideas and think about them? You may end up agreeing with them, you may end up disagreeing with them, but you first want to think for yourself about them – is that your position?

Yousuf Raza Gillani: But at the same time, I have mentioned earlier, we also have to resolve the core issues.

Karan Thapar: And you identify the core issue as what?

Yousuf Raza Gillani: Kashmir.

Karan Thapar: And on Kashmir you are saying the start has to be with the UN Resolution? Is that what I understood you to say earlier on?

Yousuf Raza Gillani: Yes, exactly, and with the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.

Karan Thapar: When you say the start has to be with the UN Resolutions, many in India hearing this might feel disappointed. They might feel that an attempt has been made in the last four years around the UN Resolution, you are – in a sense – re-emphasising the UN Resolution and, perhaps, turning the clock back.

Yousuf Raza Gillani: This is not exactly what you think about it; it is that the people of Pakistan – who had given the mandate to the new Government – have a tremendous feeling that we want to resolve the Kashmir issue. Maybe, the procedures, the modalities are different.

Karan Thapar: You also said that the approach to Kashmir has to be in accord with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

Yousuf Raza Gillani: Exactly.

Karan Thapar: Are you – in a sense – giving them a veto over any decision that India and Pakistan may come to, jointly?

Yousuf Raza Gillani: That means they should be on board.

Karan Thapar: But not a veto? Consulted, but not a veto?

Yousuf Raza Gillani: Exactly.

Karan Thapar: What you’re saying sounds to me a little different from what Mr Zardari said to me in March, when I interviewed him for this programme. He said that whilst Kashmir is important and it mustn’t be forgotten, the two countries shouldn’t let themselves be hostages to the UN Resolution. In a sense, your position is different.