Pakistan hopes India's process of troops cut in Kashmir continue

Pakistan expressed the hope on Thursday that the process of Indian troops' withdrawal from the Indian held Kashmir (IHK) would continue and facilitate the ongoing dialogue process.

"Indian decision to reduce troops is a positive development anda good beginning...we hope that trend will continue and India would withdraw bulk of its forces from the IHK," Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said at a weekly briefing here on Thursday.

Masood Khan said Pakistan saw the move in the backdrop of New York meeting between President General Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which took a momentous decision to explore all possible options on Kashmir.

He said India had over 700,000 troops in the held Kashmir and additional divisions were later inducted. He said that if the withdrawal is minimal, it would have no impact on the situation.

Commenting on recent remarks by Indian Prime Minister Singh during his visit to Srinagar, the capital of Indian Held Kashmir, Masood Khan welcomed his statement on peace in the region. "India would find Pakistan very cooperative to realize this dream," he added.

Similarly, he said, India would find Pakistan fully reciprocating to the continuation of "purposeful" dialogue on all outstanding issues between the two countries including Kashmir.

The spokesman, however, rejected the "cross-border infiltration" saying.

To a question, the spokesman said, Pakistan was desirous of sustaining the engagement with India. "This quest for peace must succeed...Kashmiris must see the day, when their aspirations see the reality," he added.

Commenting on Manmohan Singh's statement that there would be nore-drawing of maps, he said "it was not a closed question."

He noted President Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in their meeting at New York agreed to "explore all possible options."

"It indicated we have to move beyond our stated positions," Masood Khan said.

The leadership of the two countries was looking for political space "where we can make progress," he said. The efforts were to explore new avenues within the broad parameters and within the stated positions, he added.

Source: Xinhua