Blair calls for talks on Kashmir

Blair referred to lessons learned in Northern Ireland

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Monday that the only course for both India and Pakistan to follow was for the two sides to enter into a "proper, meaningful dialogue."

And Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, said he would address the nation soon on how his country plans to deal with militancy and extremism.

The British prime minister, who appeared at a press conference with Musharraf after the two men met, said killing divided people and made a solution to any problem impossible.

That lesson, he said, was learned in Northern Ireland, where negotiation has led to a long-term political process between Catholics and Protestants.

"This is a dispute that ultimately India and Pakistan have to resolve," Blair said. "What I am saying is that of course Pakistan has its very, very strong view of the position in relation to Kashmir. It is not for me to try and resolve this dispute myself. What I am trying to get across, however, is that the only way of resolving it in the end is going to be political dialogue."

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Blair arrived in Pakistan after a three-day visit to India, planned long before a Dec. 13 suicide attack by Islamic militants on India's Parliament that further heated India-Pakistan tensions, already pushed higher by an October 1 terror attack on the legislature in Srinagar.

Blair has strongly sided with Indian demands that Musharraf crack down hard on Islamic militants and disavow any support of violence in regard to Kashmir, the center of the dispute.

Blair is leaving Pakistan Monday for Afghanistan.

India and Pakistan each have massed thousands of troops and heavy weapons along their shared border.

New Delhi accuses Pakistan of supporting the militants it blames for carrying out the attack and has demanded Islamabad crack down on their activities. Musharraf says Pakistan has been taking action against extremism and has done much to stop terror.

At the news conference, Musharraf said that Pakistan and Britain had similar positions on issues, including the rejection of terror. He said both men discussed the India-Pakistan situation and Musharraf said he told Blair of "the dangerous military build-up on our borders and the belligerent statements from India."

"I have also made known our policy of restraint and responsibility," said Musharraf, stressing that both he and Blair see the need to defuse the crisis and to begin dialogue.

Blair said that Musharraf had made it clear that Pakistan rejected terrorism in all forms.

Blair said he emphasized to Musharraf and to Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee the desire of Britain and the international community to see terror reduced.

Washington has pressed both countries to pull back and said it would consider sending an envoy to help defuse the crisis. The United States fears the standoff is distracting from its campaign in Afghanistan, and also is concerned the conflict could ultimately lead to the world's first nuclear war. Both nations have nuclear weapons.

President Bush told reporters on Monday that, "I think it's very important for President Musharraf to make a clear statement to the world that he intends to crack down on terror. And I believe if he does that, and continues to do what he is doing, it will provide relief, pressure relief, on a situation that is still serious. I don't believe the situation is diffused yet."

Vajpayee and Musharraf left a summit of regional leaders Sunday in Nepal no closer to peace talks to defuse the crisis.

The pair shook hands, but Vajpayee said they exchanged only pleasantries and discussed nothing substantial.

"My interaction with the Indian prime minister in Katmandu, although very informal, was useful," Musharraf said.

Blair and Musharraf also discussed the war against terror in Afghanistan.