24 January 2004	Saturday	01 Zilhaj 1424

ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: Pakistan on Friday reiterated that it aspired to have good relations with India but without drifting an inch from the issue of Kashmir.

"There is no question for a single inch retreat on the issue of Kashmir," said Information Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed in response to a statement by Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha carried by Washington Post recently.

The information minister said no trade could ever be carried out at the cost of national honour and prestige. "We have moved two steps forward in response to one step taken by India, for achieving lasting peace in the region."

He asked India to stop atrocities being meted out to innocent people in occupied Kashmir as a goodwill gesture in response to the steps taken by Pakistan.

"India should now withdraw troops from occupied Kashmir and stop putting Kashmiris into jails," he said. Mr Ahmed said the success of Saarc summit was leading to peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue. He said India should ban making as well as exhibition of such objectional movies which hurt feelings of Muslims.

He urged the international community to play its role in achieving durable peace in the region. The minister highlighted the need for making substantial and solid efforts to achieve a realistic solution of Kashmir problem instead of "uttering attractive phrases and sentences."-APP