10 July 2004	Saturday	21 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

LONDON, July 9: Pakistan's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Dr Maleeha Lodhi on Thursday expressed the hope the dialogue with India would fulfil the aspirations of Kashmiris.

Speaking at the Royal College of Defence Studies, she said: "We hope that, unlike the past, our dialogue with India on Kashmir would be conclusive, fulfilling the long-denied aspirations of the people of Kashmir."

"Kashmir is about people, not territory. It is an issue about the self-determination of the Kashmiri people," she said. She said Pakistan was committed to ensuring its territory not being used for terrorist attacks but ending violence also meant a halt to violence in occupied Kashmir.

She said Indian troops should be withdrawn to the barracks and the cantonments and other signs of military presence removed from Kashmir cities. She called for end to crackdowns, release of the thousands of innocent youth held without charge and political prisoners in occupied Kashmir.

She said human rights organizations should be given access to held Kashmir. She said India had always been Islamabad's "foremost security challenge," which also had an impact internally.

She said Pakistan wanted a sustained dialogue to address the substance of the Kashmir dispute. She said Pakistan had welcomed the Loya Jirga and it saw the coming election in Afghanistan as an important part of the stabilization process but security situation in the country remained volatile.

She said Pakistan was disappointed that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization meeting in Istanbul last month could not commit more troops to Afghanistan. She emphasized that the global issues confronting the world needed global responses, based on consensus. -APP