President Pervez Musharraf reiterating that without the settlement of the Kashmir dispute peace in the region would remain a distant dream said that Confidence Building Measures between Pakistan and India are meaningless if no progress on Kashmir is made.

He expressed these views while talking to Indian External Affairs Minister Parnab Mukherjee who called on the president at the Presidential camp office in Rawalpindi on Wednesday.

According to sources Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Sita Pal, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Foreign secretary Suleman Bashir and other senior officials also accompanied with Mukherjee.

According to sources Kashmir dispute, Composite dialogue process Siachin, Sir Creek, terrorism, Wooler Barrage and other issues came under discussion.

During the course of the meeting President Pervez Musharraf said that this is the ripe time to iron out all differences as the leadership of both the countries are serious in settling all disputes however, he added, it is imperative that considerable headway is also made on the Kashmir dispute along with CBMs as without the settlement of this issue peace in the region would remain a distant dream.

President said that he had also proposed four-point solution to the problem but no positive response came from, the Indian side, sources told.

He said that we want the Kashmir dispute to be settled in accordance to the wishes of the Kashmir people, as they are the main party to the dispute.

He expressed hope that a considerable headway would be made on the Kashmir issue in the next round of talks to be held between the two countries.

President stressed that both countries would need to exhibit flexibility for settling the dispute.

The President lauded the increase in people to people contact between the two countries and said that this would help greatly in clearing the differences between the two sides.

During the meeting Indian External Affairs minister Parnab Mukherjee said that he is optimistic that the composite dialogue process between the two countries would yield fruitful results in countering all problems. He said that India desires friendly relations with its neighbor Pakistan and in this regard the CBMs are approaching ion the right direction.

Pranab Mukherjee lauded the confidence building policies during President Musharraf’s tenure.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani talking to the Indian External Affairs Minister who called on the PM at the Prime Minister house said Pakistan wants all settlement of all outstanding issues, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir, peacefully.

Prime Minister said we want the peace process to move forward. We want various issues between the two countries to be resolved.

He said that Pakistan and India should now move forward from confidence-building measures towards substantive dispute resolution.

He said India, Pakistan and the Kashmiri people “must show courage, leadership, magnanimity, flexibility and a passion for peace” to find a credible and lasting solution to the question of Kashmir.

The prime minister said Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project would create a win-win situation for both the sides and would address the energy needs of both the countries.

Prime Minister said that both Pakistan and India need to address the core cause of terrorism and should work together for wiping out this menace.

End.

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