ISLAMABAD, 19 June 2005 — Pakistan’s Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed yesterday warned that the cancellation of his proposed trip to Indian Kashmir would upset the ongoing India-Pakistan peace process.

“Either I visit (Indian) Kashmir or not, that does not make any difference. However India would be out in the open,” Online news agency quoted, Sheikh Rashid, who is in the eye of a storm for allegedly training Kashmiri militants, as saying.

Sheikh Rashid’s plans of traveling to Srinagar by the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus hit a roadblock earlier this week after visiting Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik claimed that the minister had run a training camp for Kashmiri militants.

Sheikh Rashid denied the charge but a host of people, including former Pakistan Army chief Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg, backed Yasin’s statement.

Sheikh Rashid had filed his papers for traveling by the trans-Kashmir bus before the controversy broke. He had planned to travel by the bus on June 30 to meet his relatives in Indian Kashmir.

Foreign office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani said yesterday the Indian government has not formally informed Pakistan whether Sheikh Rashid can visit Kashmir or not.

An Indian television channel had claimed that the Indian High Commission had informed Islamabad that Sheikh Rashid would not be permitted to visit Kashmir.

Jilani said he was yet to hear about this.

Sheikh Rashid reiterated the denial of the terror tag yesterday.

“I have never run any training camp. However, I had a camp for refugees where boarding and lodging was provided to displaced Kashmiris,” he said.

“I feel proud that I have served the oppressed Kashmiris,” he said, adding he supported the Pakistan-India peace process.

Speaking about the trans-Kashmir bus — which currently operates once a fortnight — he said its frequency could be increased. He said a truck service should also be started on the route to increase trade.

Ansari Group Gets Hurriyat’s Office

Pakistan has recognized Mirwaiz Umar Farooq as the head of Kashmir’s separatist Hurriyat conference and decided to hand over its office here to the Maulana Abbas Ansari faction to which he belongs, Online news agency reported. The office had been in the custody of the Syed Ali Shah Gilani faction because Pakistan considered him the Hurriyat chief.