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ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf announced on Sunday that as a gesture of goodwill, Pakistan would agree to resumption of over flights with India, urging that the recent thaw between the two countries should lead to the resolution of all disputes—with Kashmir atop.

"As a gesture of goodwill to settle all disputes, we will agree to resume all flights with India at the meeting beginning in New Delhi on Monday—today," he stated, addressing the members of Young Presidents Organization of both Pakistani and Indian chapters at a brunch, he hosted for them at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

He said let the flight of Indian members of the worldwide organization be the first from here after the resumption of air links.

The unilateral announcement of resumption of air links is Pakistan's second initiative inside eight days, the first being Islamabad's decision of observing ceasefire on the Line of Control from Eid ul Fitr.

The President underlined that the recent confidence building measures taken by Pakistan and India should be a start point and not an end point of a process that must be taken to its culmination in the interest of peace, harmony and development of South Asia.

CBMs

Cautioning against complacency, the President said, "the CBMs are not an end in themselves but only the start of a beginning which has to be brought to a culmination through resolution of all disputes including Kashmir."

Formal Offer

Pakistan would formally convey its agreement on the resumption of over flights in Monday's talks on the subject between the Pakistani and Indian officials in New Delhi.

New Delhi had unilaterally banned over flights between the two countries in 2002, resulting in much longer routes for Indian flights both Westward and Northward.

During his three hours interaction, the President also replied to questions from the Indian delegation and reiterated Pakistan's accent on peace in a frank and clear manner.

Pakistan, the President said, is sincere in its efforts for peace in the region. However, he said, Pakistan wants peace with honour, dignity and sovereign equality as is the right of all nations. He said if India shows the political will for resolution of disputes, Pakistan would not be found lagging behind.

Kashmir can't be Sidelined

President Gen Musharraf emphasized that both countries need to move beyond their stated positions for the resolution of Kashmir dispute, which is central to establishment of durable peace in the region and an issue that cannot be sidelined.

"Pakistan is for a composite approach for resolution of all issues including Kashmir. We must go beyond stated positions because Kashmir cannot be rolled under the carpet and India, being a bigger partner in the region must show flexibility and magnanimity," he urged.

Four-Steps

The President also dilated on a four-step approach he has proposed for the settlement of the contentious Kashmir dispute.

He said, at the first stage, the two countries should start a dialogue and accept the importance and centrality of resolution of the Kashmir dispute at the second stage.

In the third step, they should eliminate whatever is unacceptable to Pakistan, India and the people of Kashmir and then in the end go for a solution of the dispute which is acceptable to all - Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris, he added.

"This is Pakistan's approach and it is flexible, we have to move step by step," he said. Islamabad, he said, is not being uni-focal in its approach when it calls for movement on all issues including Kashmir.

Composite Dialogue

"We are for a composite dialogue - we need to move simultaneously on all issues - India needs to be flexible and show the desire to move forward and resolve the issues in tandem," he stated.

The President informed the gathering that the vast majority of Pakistanis are moderate and progressive and reject religious extremism. "Pakistan is a moderate society, extremism is on the fringes but has nuisance value, we have been urging the vast majority to stand up and impose its will on the minority."

Musharraf said that an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis favoured his post-9/11 policies as they have been in the interest  of the country.

Religious Extremism

The President observed that India too is faced with religious extremism and has militant organizations and added that just as acts of extremism are condemnable in Pakistan so should be the killing of Muslims in Gujarat.

He said there is a need to curb obscurantism and extremism as they retard development.

Kashmir Scenario

In reply to a question vis-à-vis allegations of infiltration against Pakistan, the President said the uprising in the Occupied Kashmir is absolutely indigenous, which started in the wake of suppression. "We must understand the realities and move forward to a dialogue."

In this context, the President referred to a BBC programme, Question Hour, which was participated by Indian officials and Kashmiri people. During the course of discussion in the programme, an overwhelming majority of the 200 participants held the Indian Government responsible for the state of affairs in Occupied Kashmir and only few people raised their hands when the anchorperson asked whether Pakistan was responsible for the situation.

YPO

To the young Indian members of the YPO that included businessmen, intellectuals and writers, he urged to use their influence on the Indian Government to bring synergy between economic and political realities in the region.

He said despite the intellectual quality of the people of the region, South Asia remains backward due to conflict between India and Pakistan.

"Therefore, for the sake of the people of the region, we have to go for socio-economic development of the region and change the environment - forget the past and look to future," he said.

Enlightened Moderation

The President also spoke on his theory of Enlightened Moderation and said all should contribute their bid to execute the strategy for making the world a safer place to live in, through rejection of extremism by the Muslim world, resolution of political disputes involving Muslims by the West, particularly the US, with justice and socio-economic emancipation of the Muslim world.

Replying to another question, the President said there is no conflict between Islam and democracy. Islam, he said, stands for democracy, human rights and for dealing with issues through consensus.

Achievements

President Musharraf also recounted the economic achievements of his government since 1999 and stated that with a host of positive economic indicators Pakistan now enjoys economic stability and is at a take off position.

In response to a question, he said democracy in Pakistan could not become sustainable as people were not empowered at grass roots level. He informed the gathering about the introduction of local government system and said it would bring a silent revolution in the country.

On political reforms, he said, amendments were introduced in the Constitution to evolve a system of checks and balances peculiar to Pakistani environment for sustainable democracy.

President Musharraf told a questioner that Islamabad favours a gas pipeline project for transporting gas from Iran through Pakistan to India.

India Welcomes

A report from New Delhi says that India on Sunday welcomed the announcement by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that his country will lift the ban on Indian flights over its airspace.