Pranab discussed Jammu & Kashmir: Pakistan

Pakistan and India discussed ways of resolving the J&K issue when Pranab Mukherjee visited Islamabad last week.

Pakistan and India discussed "at length" ways of resolving the Jammu and Kashmir issue when External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee visited Islamabad last week, the government in Islamabad said.

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The issue was taken up when Mukherjee called on President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, foreign office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said on Monday.

"The proposals floated for the resolution of the problem came under detailed consideration," Online news agency quoted her as saying, without elaborating.

Aslam reiterated that "Kashmir is the core issue between India and Pakistan" and only a solution to this dispute would "help bring about normalisation in relations between the two sides".

She said Pakistan welcomed the visit of Jammu and Kashmir's All Parties Hurriyat Conference leadership to Pakistan.

"Kashmiri leaders are fully supporting the proposals put forth by President Musharraf for the settlement of this issue," she added.

The spokesperson said that the struggle for right to self-determination did not come under the ambit of anti-terrorism mechanism as the struggle for freedom and terrorism were different.

"However, Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations where innocent people are killed no matter any individual, organisation or state is behind the terror related incident," she said.

Aslam said Pakistan had always asked India to exchange information or evidence it has about the involvement of any organisation in terrorism and "we would take action against them".