Khaleej Times: March 5, 1999
Sharif says Biharis not Pak
nationals
From our correspondent
DHAKA - Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif refused to accept the stranded Biharis in Bangladesh as
Pakistani nationals but said his government has been trying to
rehabilitate them in Pakistan on humanitarian considerations.
Mr Sharif, who returned to Pakistan on
Thursday after participating in the D-8 summit, said in an
interview published on Thursday that he had been dealing with the
Bihari issue since 1990 and it was not a new subject "as far
as we are concerned". The prime minister said Pakistan had
been able to take some of the stranded people back but there has
been resistance along ethnic lines, particularly in Sindh, the
home province of Benazir Bhutto. "Pakistan has never
accepted them (stranded Biharis) as Pakistanis but on
humanitarian grounds we are taking them. In 1991, when I was
prime minister, I made efforts to take them. There had been
resistance, particularly in Sindh," he said.
"We had 1,000 homes constructed in
Mianchannu in Punjab and 900 families were accommodated there.
Sixty-three families have been taken to Pakistan," Mr Sharif
said. There are about 235,000 stranded Pakistanis, locally known
as Biharis, in Bangladesh residing in over 66 camps. Mr Sharif
said: "Our efforts are now directed at raising funds and a
request has been made to the Makkah-based Rabeta Al Alam Al
Islami."
Meanwhile, 15 stranded Pakistanis, who were
arrested for attempting to commit suicide by pouring petrol on
their bodies and setting themselves on fire in front of Hotel
Sheraton, the venue of D-summit, on Tuesday, were placed on a
seven-day remand on Wednesday.
Speaking on Pakistan-India relations, Mr
Sharif said: "I think the ice has started melting. The
recent visit of the Indian prime minister to Pakistan has been
useful. We had been able to discuss all issues concerning our
bilateral relations, including Kashmir."
The issue of a command and control structure
to ensure nuclear safety was also discussed, he said.
"During our recent talks, my Indian counterpart expressed
his desire to find a solution to the Kashmir problem," Mr
Sharif said. "Once we are able to resolve this dispute we
will have little problems to establish peace and security in the
region," the Pakistani leader said.
The Lahore talks, he said, have laid the
foundation for future discussions between us on taking up
confidence building measures and for discussions on other
bilateral matters and the Kashmir issue. The talks will lead to a
resumption of secretary-level meetings.
Mr Sharif emphasised: "Kashmir is the
core issue of conflict between our two countries. The issue must
be resolved to ease tension and restore normalcy."
When told that his critics had accused him of
concentrating power in his hands and of being a "democratic
autocrat", Mr Sharif said: "If anyone has less power,
it is the prime minister of Pakistan."
Without naming anyone, Mr Sharif said his
critics should look at their own faces in the mirror and remember
that it was they who had abused power while in office. Regarding
terrorism in Karachi, the Pakistan prime minister said the
actions taken by his government had brought peace in Karachi and
the people of the city now felt more secure.