Pakistan's foreign minister said Friday his government was eager to find a solution at next month's peace talks to the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which has been at the heart of the bitter rivalry between his country and India.
Negotiating teams from India and Pakistan will meet July 21 for a new round of peace talks, Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced after meeting with visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. It was their second meeting since a civilian government took power in Pakistan in February.
The July talks, part of a peace process between the nuclear armed South Asian rivals that began in 2004, will include discussions on the future of Kashmir, their largest stumbling block, Qureshi said.
"They will be discussing a number of issues, and Jammu and Kashmir and peace and security are issues that will be focussed on during the talks," said Qureshi.
Expectations of progress on Kashmir have been dampened by the sidelining of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who was instrumental in pushing for a solution to the Kashmir dispute.
Musharraf dominated Pakistan for eight years but gave up his post as army chief last year and has taken a back seat since the new government took power. It is unclear if he retains any influence over the peace process.
Musharraf had previously proposed various ideas for resolving the Kashmir dispute, including a possible joint administration of the region, but India reacted cautiously. A cease-fire line currently serves as a de facto border.
But Qureshi said the new, democratically elected Pakistani government was equally committed to finding a solution.
"I have come representing the coalition of political parties that feels that a positive movement toward peace and security and normalisation is in our mutual interest, " he said, adding that he had come to India with "a very positive agenda, with a very positive frame of mind."
Qureshi urged Mukherjee "to give serious thought to outstanding disputes that need our consideration."
India and Pakistan have fought three wars two over Kashmir since gaining independence from Britain six decades ago, but relations have improved since they embarked on the peace process.
Subject: Pakistan wants solution to Kashmir dispute 
Sun Jun 29, 2008 2:41 am
