RAWALPINDI, Dec 22: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Monday reaffirmed the primacy and centrality of the Kashmir dispute for durable peace in South Asia and underlined Pakistan’s firm and unwavering commitment to the cause of Kashmir.

Speaking to Kashmiri leaders including the president and prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the president said Pakistan has a principled stand on Kashmir and asserted that “nobody can coerce Pakistan into giving up Kashmir.”

“The way forward is finding a lasting and durable solution of Kashmir in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” he said.

He said Pakistan has a principled stand on Kashmir and the country’s support for Kashmiris remains resolute. He said New Delhi should show flexibility for resolving the dispute and expressed the hope that the Indian public opinion would influence their leaders to enter into a dialogue process for a durable peace in South Asia.

President Musharraf said the world leaders and the international community were interested in peace in South Asia, stating that major powers including the US and the European Union were all for the resolution of the dispute.

Referring to the four-step approach he has proposed for arriving at a solution to the lingering dispute, President Musharraf emphasized that first the two sides should start the dialogue process.

According to the approach, he said Pakistan and India should start the dialogue process; accept the centrality of the Kashmir dispute, eliminate whatever is unacceptable to the two sides and the Kashmiri people and then arrive at a solution acceptable to both the countries and the people of Kashmir.

During the meeting, leaders from Azad Kashmir including the APHC representatives expressed their total support for the president’s efforts at resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of the people of Kashmir.

They said they were reassured by the president’s clear stance that for any solution to be acceptable and durable, the aspirations of the Kashmiri people would have to be regarded.