Kasuri rejects pressure on IPI gas project
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—President General Pervez Musharraf has categorically stated that no pressure would be tolerated on Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project.
Talking to Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri here Saturday, the President said that Pakistan wants positive development on tripartite gas pipeline project and hoped that pricing issue would soon be solved between three countries.
The Foreign Minister briefed the President about his meetings with Iranian President Mehmood Ahmadinejad, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani during his recent visit to Iran.
The President said that Pakistan urgently needs energy as it is vital for fast pace of industrial development and talks in this regard are underway with other countries, however it does not mean that Pakistan is not interested in IPI gas pipeline project.
President Musharraf expressed his hope that India would show its interest in the completion of the project, however if India would not be a part then the project would also be completed.
Expressing his views on Iranian nuclear issue, President Musharraf said that Pakistan support talks between European Union and Iran and want diplomatic solution of the problem, adding that use of force would only destabilize the entire region.The President said that Pakistan urgently needs energy as it is vital for fast pace of industrial development and talks in this regard are underway with other countries, however it does not mean that Pakistan is not interested in IPI gas pipeline project
According to sources composition dialogue between Pakistan and India, suggestions for the resolution of Kashmir dispute and outcome of backdoor diplomacy and Indian reaction were discussed during the meeting and future strategy has also been finalized. Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri has said that Pakistan and India have reached a consensus on all outstanding issues including Siachen and the problem could be resolved soon.
Pakistan wants solution of Kashmir in line with the wishes of Kashmiri people, he said while talking to a private TV channel here.
Kasuri said that Pakistan fundamental stance on Kashmir was slightly different from India and that was that we want the Kashmir solution reflective of the wishes of Kashmiris. He said that war was no solution to any issue, as the two neighboring countries had fought three wars on Kashmir.
Kasuri said that history tells that problems could be resolved on talks table coincided with good spirit and sincerity. “Problems cannot be solved through bad intentions and insincerity,” he added.
He said that talks with India were underway on different fronts and since the two countries had have elected parliaments therefore anything pre-mature could not be made public. He said that a hundred percent correct formula was yet to be framed to resolve the problems. “The formula will be presented before the parliament if once the two countries reached a consensus on all issues,” Kasuri noted. Responding to a question, he said that the two countries had understood each other’s point of view and hoped that Siachen issue could be resolved soon.