Pakistan for progress on certain issues with India

Islamabad, July 16: Pakistan today said the ongoing peace process with India should focus on making progress on issues that have caused tension and conflicts between the two countries.

''Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also acknowledged that the two sides are seriously discussing the Kashmir dispute,'' foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told a press briefing here while commenting on Dr Singh's statement in Jammu yesterday.

Announcing his quest for a historic reconciliation with Pakistan for peace and cooperation in Kashmir, including a joint sharing of its water and land resources for the region's benefit on both sides of the Line of Control, Dr Singh said the time was ripe for such a pact with Pakistan and between the culturally and politically diverse peoples of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ms Aslam said Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had already outlined certain ideas and emphasized that the settlement should be acceptable to Pakistan, India and more importantly to the people of Kashmir .

''Pakistan has made many proposals for greater interaction between Kashmiris on both sides,'' she said, adding any out of box solution of the Kashmir dispute that reflects the aspirations of Kashmiris will make the LoC irrelevant.

''If that happens then not only LoC but the whole Kashmir will become an abode of peace,'' she added.

The spokesperson said Foreign Secretary of Sri Lanka is arriving in here tomorrow on a two day visit to attend the second session of bilateral consultations at Foreign Secretary level.

UNI

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