President General Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday welcomed the decision taken by the governments of India and Pakistan on the commencement of a bus service between Muzaffaabad and Srinagar. He stated this during a call on by Indian External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh. The president appreciating the flexibility and statesmanship showed by the two sides hoped that the two countries in this spirit could resolve all the issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
President Musharraf emphasised that the Saarc process needs to be strengthened and every effort should be made to make it a useful forum for the regional development.
He stressed the need for peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, terming it as an essential pre-requisite for achieving full normalisation of relations between the two countries.
In this context, he emphasised that there was a need to raise the comfort level of the Kashmiris by improving the human right situation the Indian occupied Kashmir.
The president also raised the Baglihar issue with the Indian minister for external affairs and expressed serious concern on the non-resolution of the Baglihar Hydro-Electric Power Project issue in consonance with the Indus Water Treaty provisions.
The president regretted that after exhausting all avenues to resolve the issue bilaterally, Pakistan was constrained to approach the World Bank for appointment of a neutral expert as outlined in the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty.
He, nevertheless, expressed the hope that the two countries would be able to resolve their issue bilaterally in spirit of co-operation and good neighbourliness.
The president that the Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh would be able to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience.
The Indian external affairs minister was accompanied by the Indian foreign secretary and other senior officials.
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