KT NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, May 16 : Pakistan's opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman here on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction over the pace of India-Pakistan peace process and asked New Delhi to respond to Pakistan's proposals on self-governance in Jammu and Kashmir .
"If there are some problems with the Pakistani proposal, they have to be pointed out.
You have to say how much is acceptable and what is not.
Remaining silent does not help," he said.
Describing Kashmir as the basic cause of difference between India and Pakistan , he said if no solution is found to it, the confidence building measures will not help.
Rehman said the "satisfaction" of the people of Kashmir was essential in any solution.
On a "goodwill" tour here, the head of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), who was here few years ago during Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure suggested that the priorities of the current United Progressive Alliance government were different from that of the previous government.
He, however, did not elaborate.
Last time, the MMA delegation had praised Vajpayee.
On the killing of Indian engineer in Afghanistan recently, he said people engaged in reconstruction and developmental works in the war-torn country should not be harmed.
The MMA leader, however, heaped praise on Taliban saying it had set an "example of good governance" during its six-year rule in Afghanistan but the militia was wrongly perceived as those who love bloodshed.
"People engaged in reconstruction and development works in Afghanistan should not be touched," Rehman told a select group of reporters when asked about his views on Taliban threat to all Indians to leave Afghanistan.
The Taliban had issued the threat after abducting Indian engineer K Suryanarayan in south Afghanistan last month and repeated it after killing the hostage.
More than 2000 Indians are currently engaged in various econstruction and developmental projects in Afghanistan.
To a question about Taliban reportedly claiming that Indian engineer Suryanarayan was killed at the behest of Pakistan, Rehman said it was not clear whether the Afgan militia was responsible for it.
"A perception has been created about Taliban that it likes shedding blood.
But the fact is that during its rule, it ended the Kalashnikov culture and provided justice to people as per the Shariat laws," he said adding "all these qualities of Taliban have now been buried.
Lashing out at the US, the Pakistani leader said removal of any government militarily cannot be justified.
"Democracy needs to be promoted in Afghanistan but if you label someone as something and attack him, this will not solve any problem," he said in an apparent reference to US-led campaign against Taliban.
Despite arbitration work in Baghlihar continuing: Soz KT NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, May 16 : The Centre on Tuesday said that work was in progress at the Baglihar hydel power project despite World Bank arbitrating between India and Pakistan on the project.
Replying a question in Rajya Sabha Union Minister for Water Resources Prof.
Saifuddin Soz said nearly 47 per cent of the dam structure has been constructed and 80 per cent procurement and fabrication of the hyro-mechanical and electro-mechanical works had been completed.
The Minister also informed that two units of 150 MW each have been erected at the site and work on third is in progress.
He, however, stated that decision by the World Bank would be binding on both India and Pakistan, and accordingly on the State government.
Soz said the unprecedented and sustained floods during July-August, 2005 that triggered massive landslides near the Dam Complex had resulted in blockage of Diversion Tunnels (already build), but , no damage was caused to the any permanent structure.
He said, therefore, the design was not faulty.
Further, he said the financial institutions with whom the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation has made financial arrangements for funding the Baglihar Project have also at no point of time stopped or backed out from funding of project.
PM to visit Kashmir for two days from May 24 SRINAGAR, May 16 (UNI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit the Kashmir valley for two days from May 24.
This was informed by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad here today.
He said during his stay, the Prime Minister will attend the second round-table conference on Kashmir.
Dr Singh will also chair the Unified Command meeting and review the progress of the ongoing Prime Minister's reconstruction programme which was sanctioned last year.
"He will be briefed by the state government on the amount spent under the package and also about the requirements," the Chief Minister said.
