The Pakistani government and media have widely welcomed the first withdrawal of Indian troops from disputed Kashmir, describing it as "a positive move and a good beginning."

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week promised to reduce troops in the India-held Kashmir, though he failed to make it clear how many troops would be removed. As the first step, a battalion of Indian paratroopers left the town of Anantnag on Wednesday.

Further troop reductions are possible if the violence of the past 15 years ends, said Singh soon after arriving in Srinagar Wednesday for his first visit since taking office in May.

Reacting to this historic move, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan praised it as "a positive development and a good beginning." "We hope that gradual reduction of troops would provide relief to the Kashmiris, promote respect for their human rights, and reinforce the dialogue process," said the spokesman.

An editorial titled "Welcome first steps" was published in Pakistan's most influential English-language newspaper Dawn Wednesday, saying there is hope now that the level of militarization may gradually come down in anticipation of efforts by Pakistan and India to reach a political accommodation over Kashmir and other disputes.

However small the number of reduction of troops, the first withdrawal should be seen in a constructive spirit and this spiritof conciliatory moves and responses has to be preserved and promoted at all costs, the editorial said.

Withdrawal of Indian troops can be termed as "a good beginning in the right direction," praised an editorial in another local newspaper The News.

"New Delhi is reported to have decided to withdraw 40,000 troops from the area and that its propose is to pave the way for aforward movement in the ongoing composite dialogue between the twocountries," the paper noted.

However, a Pakistani alliance of Islamic parties, the MuttahidaMajlis-i-Amal, said the troop pullout was neither a "withdrawal, nor solution to the problem." It repeated long-held calls to let Kashmiris choose rule by Pakistan or India through a plebiscite according to the UN resolutions concerned.

Source: Xinhua