KARACHI, Jan 8: Senior politician Mairaj Muhammad Khan on Thursday said that SAARC's Islamabad declaration and the joint statement between India and Pakistan to initiate "composite dialogue" for settlement of all outstanding issues including Kashmir, are a very healthy and positive development for the sub-continent.

"Pursued with sincerity of purpose it will open a new era of peace and development in the region," he said. He felt the positive development of the last few days were unfortunately marred by the government's unwillingness to jointly commemorate with India the 1857 War of Independence against the British colonial rule, as was proposed by the Indian side.

He asked President Pervez Musharraf to change his decision as the joint celebration would be a political milestone symbolising the growing understanding and friendship between the peoples and governments of India and Pakistan to meet the challenges of a new imperialist order and its dangerous doctrine of preemption.-PPI