On Sunday Pakistani President, General Pervez Musharraf, expressed the hope that the on-going dialogue process with India would lead to the settlement of the longstanding Kashmir disagreement.
"Pakistan and India have embarked upon a sustained dialogue process on Kashmir and today I want to reassure all Kashmiris that ultimately it's their wishes that'll guide us as we pursue a just and honorable settlement of this tragic dispute," the president said in his message on the occasion of "Kashmir Solidarity Day" which is on Monday.
Rallies will be organized across Pakistan Monday at government and unofficial levels to display support for the people of Kashmir.
Referring to the recent visit of a delegation from the Indian controlled Kashmir the president said the visit of the leadership of the All Party Hurriyyat Conference to Pakistan was part of this process.
He said Kashmir related confidence building measures were an attempt to bring some relief to the day-to-day lives of the people on both sides of the divided territory.
Musharraf said his four-point proposal on Kashmir was also aimed at breaking the decades-old deadlock and given sincerity and goodwill this could provide a durable solution that genuinely reflected the aspirations of Kashmiris.
"We owe it to our future generations to find an amicable and honorable settlement so that peace and tranquility can finally prevail in the region," he said. "Our children should never again live in fear or with mistrust but should be nurtured in an environment where honor, dignity and freedom for all are assured," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2007)
