ISLAMABAD, Aug 22: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Inamul Haq on Thursday said Pakistan neither encourages nor allows anybody to cross the Line of Control from Azad Kashmir.
Talking to BBC Radio, he said, “we want a neutral mechanism to determine whether any infiltration is taking place across the LoC or not.”
The United Nations observers are already stationed along the LoC in Azad Kashmir and they should be strengthened and their number should be increased, he added.
Mr Haq said a neutral mechanism which is acceptable to both India and Pakistan can be put in place to monitor that any infiltration at LoC is taking place or not.
Replying to a question, he said confidence between India and Pakistan can only be built through dialogue.
President Gen Pervez Musharraf took a bold step by declaring that nobody should be allowed to cross the LoC, he pointed out.
He said Pakistan’s stance is that it wants resolution of all disputes with India, including Kashmir issue.
Replying to another question, the minister said elections in Kashmir have nothing to do with the talks between the two countries on the longstanding dispute.
“We should not wait for elections to start dialogue,” he added.
Mr Haq said Pakistan’s stand on the elections in occupied Kashmir is that these cannot be a substitute for plebiscite.—APP
