RIYADH, Sept 25: Despite various concessions from Pakistan, there has not been any significant positive response from India on the Kashmir issue and this is a cause of concern, said veteran Kashmiri leader Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan soon after Musharraf-Manmohan meeting in New York.

The Kashmiri leader was talking to Dawn in Jeddah on Saturday. He was here to attend the annual meeting of the Muslim World League.

During his current visit, he also met Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the acting president of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), who was also in Saudi Arabia on his way to the United Kingdom.

Sardar Qayyum said that during meetings with the Mirwaiz, the current prevailing security and political situation in Kashmir was discussed extensively. Both men appreciated the recent European Union stance on Kashmir, he observed.

While not sounding very optimistic about the outcome of the ongoing deliberations between Pakistan and India, he said: "There are many difficulties on the way. We have not seen positive response from the Indian side. There was a glimmer of hope during the Vajpayee regime, but that is fading and things are again grim."

Sardar Qayyum, however, said the Kashmiri leadership on both sides of the divide was appreciative of the stance of President Musharraf. "We have confidence in him. What the future brings is difficult to say."

Referring to the issue of confidence-building measures in the Indo-Pakistan dialogue, Sardar Qayyum said there were two schools of thought on the issue. One group wanted the CBMs to continue and the Kashmir issue could be dealt later.

He pointed out that some world leaders also appeared in favour of this route.