Kashmir tops Pak agenda at talks with India

Even as Islamabad has accepted India's offer to hold foreign secretary-level talks, the Pakistani leadership is still crooning the 'Kashmir' tune.

Interacting with media persons during a press conference, Pakistan Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said Islamabad is open for dialogue with India at every level, with Kashmir on top of the agenda.

Reiterating Pakistan's demand of resuming the composite dialogue with India, Kaira said he is doubtful over any positive outcome of the proposed foreign secretary-level talks.

"Tangible progress could only be made through composite dialogue," The Daily Times quoted Kaira, as saying.

Earlier, Pakistan accepted India's proposal for foreign secretary level talks.

The decision was taken following an inter-agency meeting, which was attended by top officials of the Pakistan foreign office and representatives of all stakeholders, especially the ministries of defence and interior.

"It was agreed that instead of getting bogged down in nomenclature we should agree to an unconditional engagement in which all issues come under discussion," a top official, who attended the meeting, said.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who presided over the high level meeting, stressed that Pakistan should not say 'no' to India's overtures, and should respond to it positively, which could lead to the resumption of the composite peace talks.

"The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of the government of Pakistan to enter into a meaningful and result-oriented Composite Dialogue process with India in the interest of peace, development and stability in South Asia and to resolve all outstanding issues between Pakistan and India," a statement issued after the meeting said.