Natwar's visit important, says Kasuri

Ahead of External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh's visit beginning here tonight, Pakistan said it attached a lot of "importance" to his visit during which it would press for speeding up the peace process.

"I attach a lot of importance to these talks," with Singh, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri said here.

Observing that "many people want the peace process to be much faster," Kasuri said he would take up the issue with Singh during the talks scheduled to be held tomorrow.

He said the two sides would review the progress of the talks they had held earlier and prepare guidelines for the parleys to be held in January.

Singh will hold talks with Kasuri on the progress of the second round of composite dialogue process and to revive the joint commission between the two countries, which has remained dormant since 1989.

Singh will meet Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on October 4 before leaving for Karachi.

On the Kashmir issue, Kasuri said Pakistan felt that greater interaction between the leaders and people on both sides of the Kashmir would throw up a solution.

"Kashmiri leaders on both sides should be afforded more opportunities for interaction as they are in a position to come up with a solution to the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of Islamabad, New Delhi and the region's people," he was quoted as saying in the daily Dawn here.

"Pakistan feels that if you allow greater interaction between the Kashmiri leaders on both sides of the LoC and give them time for brainstorming, they will come to some solution reflective of the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and of Pakistan and India," Kasuri said.