JCP receives letter from Pakistani Government

Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo and Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo on July 6 received a letter from Pakistani Ambassador to Japan Touqir Hussain. The letter is an official reply to a letter of June 7 which Fuwa and Shii, based on the decision of the 4th JCP Central Committee Assembly, sent under joint signatures to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, concerning the dispute between India and Pakistan.

The letter from Ambassador Hussain starts, "Thank you very much for your letter of June 7, 2002 addressed to President Pervez Musharraf. The letter was sent to it high destination (sic). I am desired to reply to your letter and to convey the best wishes of the President to you." This shows that the letter is an official reply from the Pakistani Government to the JCP in accordance with the president's directions.

The letter says, "We highly appreciate your feelings for the peace and stability of South Asia and concern about the tension between India and Pakistan. We share these feelings," and refers to the Pakistani Government's position on the dispute with India.

Emphasizing that "President Perez Musharraf has categorically stated that Pakistan would not start the war but would defend itself," the letter points out that "the danger of war" has not yet abated because "forces of both countries are still on the border," and says, "There can be lasting peace only when India withdraws its forces to [a] peacetime location and start dialogue with Pakistan." Looking back regional history, the letter explains the Pakistani view on the question of Kashimir and terrorism.

In the latter part of the letter, Ambassador Hussain says, "We understand and appreciate the feelings of Japanese people on the nuclear issue because being the only victim of nuclear weapons, Japan has the right to talk about the nuclear weapons. For us, a nuclear exchange is unthinkable," and the letter goes on to say that Pakistan "has proposed [a] Nuclear Free South Asia and has asked for [a] no use of force pact with India." (end)