London, Oct 10: After the launch of his new political party, All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), recently, Pakistan’s former president Pervez Musharraf has said that India and Pakistan were close to a solution on Kashmir some years ago. 
 “We were as close as drafting a final pact for a solution. Final drafts were exchanged through the back channel and Manmohan Singh agreed with my four-point formula,” Musharraf told NDTV in an interview last night, when asked how close India and Pakistan came during his Presidency with regard to Kashmir solution.
 Asked if his famous four-point formula for Kashmir was the only pragmatic template within which Kashmir can be resolved, Musharraf said: “You said it and let me tell you very proudly, those parameters are mine. I thought of them, because I realised that when I was talking to everyone on Pakistan side, the Indian side, the dispute is the Kashmir dispute. What is the solution? Not one of them ever gave me a solution. So therefore, that set me thinking, and that is where I came into this issue of demilitarisation, maximum self governance, this over-watch and all that, and making the LoC irrelevant. Now you asked me how close we were, we were as close as drafting the final agreement.”
 Asked were there drafts shared on both sides, he said, “Yes, of course, through back channel. Yes, we were discussing. Some good English was required; I wish you were there to form some sentences.”
 In response to a query on how close did it come on Kashmir and was there a specific draft on Kashmir in the back channels, or given his four point formula, Musharraf said, “Well it was being formed. The draft was being formulated, that is the good thing, and it was being formulated in good spirit.”
 Mushfarraf said Siachen, and Sir Creek, we could have signed any day. “We carried out the joint survey by the two navies of the Sir Creek area and we know exactly the disputed area in the land and in the sea. A joint survey and we could have reached an agreement. On Siachen, where we needed to withdraw the forces and the demiliatrised zone, we could have reached an agreement. I mean if the two leaders decide to sign they will, they can, and Kashmir was the issue.”
 While he denied the involvement of the security establishment in sending them across the Line of Control (LOC), he did concede that from Pakistan’s point of view, the Lashkar was what he called a Mujahideen group, fighting for the rights of the Kashmiri people.
 “From our point of view, LeT is fighting for the rights of Kashmiris and there is great public support in Pakistan for groups like the Lashkar-e-Toiba,” said Musharraf.
 In response to a question on whether Lashkar-e-Toiba was a “freedom fighter group,” Musharraf said, “From our point of view anyone who is fighting in Kashmir, your part of Kashmir, is a Mujahid who’s fighting for the freedom, for the rights of the people of Kashmir.”
 Asked if they were using “acts of terror” that often saw innocent women and children killed, Musharraf said: “As...as...as.. just a minute, as enshrined in the UN Charter, by the UN recognized as a dispute, okay. Now the other part: Terrorism; they are fighting against the Indian Army and Indian Army is killing the civilians. So who is the terrorist? Isn’t the Indian Army also a terrorist then? I think we are going to enter into a discussion where you won’t prove anything, I also won’t prove anything.”

Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Oct 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 IST