Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf expressed his readiness to attend a round table on Kashmir in Srinagar or New Delhi along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for finding a solution to vexed issues.
He stated this when delegates at an international conference on Kashmir, which began in Islamabad Friday morning, called on the Pakistani leader.
Leading intellectuals and experts from India and Pakistan as well as politicians from both sides of Kashmir, are participating in the dialogue with the aim of giving a boost to the India-Pakistan peace process for a resolution of all issues, including Kashmir.
The discussions sponsored by an international non-governmental organisation, Pugwash, were, however, held behind closed doors with organisers saying a consensus document is expected at the end of the conference on Sunday.
About 50 delegates including National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front leader Yasin Malik, and representatives of the two rival factions of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, among others, from India attended the conference to discuss ways to strengthen the peace process, proposals for self-governance, demilitarisation and economic interaction in Kashmir.
"We are now hopeful that a solution will be found on the Kashmir issue," Abdul Ghani Bhatt, former chairman, APHC, told reporters at the conclusion of the first day of the conference.
"A solution to the issue has to be found for a durable peace in the region in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiri people," Malik said.
"It is a rare forum for Kashmiri politicians of diverse opinion to discuss the future of the state with experts from India and Pakistan, who will include some former diplomats now engaged in the 'back-channel' or 'track-two' diplomacy," Dawn newspaper reported.
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