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Zardari hopeful of resolving Kashmir dispute

By IANS,

Islamabad : Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is hopeful about resolving the six decade old Kashmir dispute with India, a media report Friday said.

“All the possible solutions on Kashmir will be discussed first in a parliamentary committee on Kashmir and then the final solution will be approved by parliament,” The News quoted him as saying.

According to Zardari, coalition partners Asfandyar Wali Khan of the Awami National Party and Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, as also former prime minister Nawaz Sharif of the estranged Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) were on board in his efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue.

This is the second time in a week that Zardari has spoken on the Kashmir issue.

Addressing his maiden press conference here Tuesday after being sworn in as president, Zardari said he would have “some good news” on the Kashmir issue before India holds its next Lok Sabha elections.

He also hinted at holding a caucus on the Kashmir issue soon to seek a resolution of the lingering dispute over which the two countries have fought two full-fledged wars and a military conflict in Kargil in 1999.

Pointing at the back-channel dialogue with India to resolve the issue, he said: “We intend to take it (Kashmir issue) to the Parliament’s Committee on Kashmir and we want to make progress before the Congress government (in New Delhi) goes in for the (next Lok Sabha) elections… we hope to give good news to the nation soon.”