'The proposal was originally moved by President Pervez Musharraf and later this proposal was widely discussed and hailed by Kashmiri leaders,' foreign office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam told a press briefing here today.

Aslam said Pakistan backed the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions to resolve the Kashmir issue in keeping with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The discussion of the proposal on Kashmir could be an interim relief measure for Kashmiris, she said.
Referring to the Kashmir issue, she said: 'We are dealing with a complex issue and expectations are high to move quickly but it is unfortunate that this is not happening due to misunderstandings.'The third round of talks under India and Pakistan's composite dialogue process will be held Jan 17-18 in New Delhi, where the foreign secretaries will discuss various issues, including Kashmir and peace and security.

Earlier India's National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan had also admitted that the discussions were being held in the back channels by senior Indian diplomats and their Pakistani counterparts.Once the ideas on the delicate issue were refined thoroughly these could become part of the composite dialogue process for a more formal discussion and a possible decision, he indicated. "We have a back channel. We have experienced diplomats as part of it and if they (Pakistan) come forward and give specifics about self-governance, then we can probably look at it," Mr Narayanan said.Agencies

Source: Kashmirobserver