Pakistan News And Discussion-9

[Naresh]

[center]<b><span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>Kashmir will be settled by March 2008, says Rao</span></b> <!--emo&tupid--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pakee.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pakee.gif' /><!--endemo--> [/center]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>LAHORE - Defence Minister and Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (Patriots) Rao Sikander Iqbal has predicted that the Kashmir issue will be resolved by February or March next year, if not by the end of this year as being pronounced by certain quarters.</b>

He was speaking at The Nation Forum here on Saturday. On this occasion, Tehsil Nazim Rao Jameel was also present. Later, Rao Sikander also called on the Editor-in-Chief Daily The Nation Majid Nizami.

Rao Sikander said whatsoever All-Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders, that is, the Kashmiri leaders were doing was with the involvement of the Pakistani government. <b>“We should not be hopeless about the situation as the present run of activities will bear positive results, and Kashmir will be liberated by February or March 2008, if not by December this year,”</b> he added.

He maintained that the credit must be given to Pervez Musharraf for his efforts in maintaining peace in the region. “One-man’s efforts could not do the required as India is not responding positively. If the situation has to be changed, then India must come up with some positives,” he said.
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<b>To question about the recent arm deals between India and Russia, and Indo-US last year, Rao Sikander said it was not a new thing as it was continuing for decades. <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>“Russia is supporting India as the latter is six times bigger than Pakistan, which is so to our misfortune. <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo--> But I assure you with the kind of sagacity Musharraf possesses, India could be defeated in a short time,” he said, while accepting the fact that Pakistan did not match India in matter of the traditional weaponry and nuclear arsenal. “But Pakistan is a determined nation, and we have some pluses about which I don’t want to talk about. However, nothing wrong could be done to us, and we must not be bothered by the US tilt towards India,” he said.</span></b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Cheers <!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo-->