09 January 2004	Friday	16 Ziqa'ad 1424

LONDON, Jan 8: Pakistan is committed to the cause of Kashmir and is searching for a solution acceptable to the people of Kashmir, says Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK Dr Maleeha Lodhi.

"That is the most important consideration for us", Dr Maleeha told BBC Radio Four in an interview on Thursday. The decision by Pakistan and India to resume composite dialogue was a "dramatic thaw," she said.

The important point, she said, was that both sides had committed themselves to a dialogue, including a dialogue on Kashmir. "We see this move as a dramatic thaw in relationship. I think you have to look what happened in the backdrop or what happened a couple of years ago. Only a year a year ago the two countries were locked in a dangerous military standoff".

Both the countries had not only stepped back from the brink of a military confrontation but now were saying to each other that 'we want to engage in a real dialogue'.

Dr Maleeha said that whenever there were efforts to put in place a peace process there were questions raised in minds of the people. "But we have to wait to see (how) this process unfolds," she said. Pakistan, she said, had always believed that the Kashmir issue could only be resolved through dialogue and not through military means.

"You need a political approach and we are very happy and delighted to see the Indian's to commit themselves (for talks)," she said. Echoing President Gen Pervez Musharraf's Tuesday response that it was a good beginning, she said but this was a beginning, adding the important thing was how the process would move, the important thing was time, both sides needed time and energy and commitment in the process in the search for solution.

Referring to Pakistan's efforts regarding combating terrorism, she said Pakistan had been a front-line ally of the global coalition against terrorism and had been fighting the menace "within and without."

She said one fifth of humanity, living in the region, had great expectations from its leaders. She expressed the confidence that their leadership would live up to the challenge that was ahead of them.

She said so far as Kashmir was concerned, President Musharraf had, in recent months, been speaking about a four-step approach to help find a solution "that is a win-win for all sides".

President Gen Pervez Musharraf's approach, she said, provided a way forward for addressing the Kashmir dispute. Under the approach, she said, the first step was that both Pakistan and India should acknowledge that there was a dispute. -APP