Third round table on Kashmir a step forward: Pak politician

New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) A Prominent Pakistani politician today hailed the third round table on Kashmir, convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently, describing it as a major step in the direction of finding a durable solution to the vexed issue.

The round table provided more democratic space to both dissidents and militants to air their grievances as also to suggest ways to find a solution to the decades-old problem, said Mr Mushahid Hussain, Chairman of the Committee on International Relations in the Pakistani Senate.

Mr Hussain said it was for the first time that the warring groups suggested violation of human rights in Kashmir, and Dr Manmohan Singh promised to look into it.

''This is a step forward,'' he said here at the First Pramod Mahajan Conclave on 'Bipartisan Politics for Growth'.

Mr Hussain, who was minister in the Nawaz Sharif government, said terrorism had no religion, and that his country wanted peace with justice with India.

''Whether it is in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka or Iran, terrorism is not an issue related with religion,'' he said.

''We are clear in Pakistan, we want peace with justice with India, on all issues, including Kashmir,'' he said.

Mr Hussain said the pipeline agreements involving India, Pakistan and Central Asia were positive signs of shared cooperation driven by energy security.

He said a sea change had come about in the relations between Pakistan and India in the past few years as ''we have changed some of the old misconceptions about each other''.

Mr Hussain, who was minister-in-waiting when Atal Bihari Vajpayee took the peace bus to Lahore, was all praise for the former Indian Prime Minister.

UNI