February 15, 2003	Saturday	Zul Hijjah 13, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 14: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has said that Pakistan is ready for bilateral talks with India at any time on all issues, including the core issue of Kashmir, but regretted that New Delhi was deliberately playing games and heightening regional tensions.

Speaking to a group of journalists at the prime minister’s house on Thursday, Mr Jamali said continuation of tension between the two neighbours was not in the interest of either and hoped that sanity would prevail in India and it would change its attitude.

He said while India had been creating acrimony and tension over the past several years, Pakistan had never tried to cash in on India’s internal difficulties.

The prime minister told a questioner that he would expand his cabinet soon after the Senate elections. He said parliamentary committees would be strengthened in order to provide a strong base for the parliamentary system to grow.

He was confident that the joint session of parliament to be addressed by President Gen Pervez Musharraf would be a smooth affair and nothing would happen to disturb the session’s sanctity.

Mr Jamali said he would soon take politicians into confidence on the issues of Iraq and India. He said he has already had a fruitful meeting with Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal vice president and parliamentary leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed in this connection. He said that the PML-Q would make necessary adjustments with MMA and some other parties in contesting Senate elections, particularly in Balochistan.

In reply to a question, the prime minister said during his upcoming visit to Tehran (which has now been postponed), he would discuss Pakistan-India relations and would also like to talk about ways and means for increasing Pakistan-Iran bilateral economic relations.