ISLAMABAD, Dec 18: Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has expressed his willingness to visit Peshawar on Jan 20 to attend the death anniversary of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.

This was stated here on Thursday by Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan at a press conference on his return from a week-long visit to India.

The ANP leader said during his visit to India he invited Mr Vajpayee to visit Peshawar on the occasion of his grandfather’s death anniversary and the Indian prime minister expressed his willingness in this regard.

Asfandyar Wali welcomed the confidence-building measures recently announced by both the governments and expressed the hope that these steps would lead to initiation of dialogue between the two countries.

The ANP leader said during his meetings with senior Indian politicians, including Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, chief minister of occupied Kashmir Mufti Saeed, opposition leader Sonia Gandhi and others, he gathered the impression that peace with Pakistan was a common desire of the entire Indian leadership.

Asfandyar Wali said in his meetings with Indian leaders he urged them that all political issues ought to be resolved through talks as peace could not be won through war.

He said in his meeting with the Indian prime minister he told Mr Vajpayee that the ANP had all along been advocating good neighbourly relations between the two countries and resolution of all issues through dialogue.

When asked if he would like to present a report of his visit to the government, he said he did not visit India as a government emissary hence there was no need for him to submit such a report.

In response to a question about the recent bomb explosion in Rawalpindi, the ANP leader said: “We believe that violence does not solve any problem and this attack is condemnable in the strongest of words.”

He expressed sorrow over the death of MMA President Allama Shah Ahmed Noorani and paid rich tribute to his political sagacity.

Asfandyar Wali had left Lahore through Wagah border on Dec 10 at the head of a seven-member party delegation on the invitation of Hindustan Times to attend a seminar “Peace dividends” organized by the newspaper.

Other members of ANP delegation included MPA Bashir Ahmed Bilour, Amir Ghazan Khan, director Bacha Khan Trust, Ehsan Wayne, Syed Aqil Shah, Dr Inayatullah Khan and Zahid Khan.

The seminar was also addressed by Mr Vajpayee and former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.