THE HAGUE, Nov 8: India rowed back on Monday after voicing readiness to look at all options for a solution to the Kashmir dispute, balking at Pakistan's suggestion that the Himalayan region could be demilitarized.

"Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and therefore this question of deployment of troops in our own country is not a subject matter of discussion with outside agencies," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said.

Speaking at a news conference in the Netherlands after meeting senior European Union officials, Mr Singh was also dismissive of ideas floated informally by President Pervez Musharraf at an Iftar dinner in Islamabad last month.

"If you are referring to what General Musharraf said at an Iftar party, well I don't consider it as a proposal," he said. "When we receive any formal proposals we will, I think, react to that in an appropriate manner."

Dr Singh's comments in the Hague contrasted with the tone of an interview he gave to the Financial Times, which earlier in the day quoted him as saying he was willing to "look at all options to think about a new chapter and a new beginning".

They were also more in line with New Delhi's official response to Pakistani proposals aired in the media to end the dispute over Kashmir. New Delhi had said it would not negotiate in public.

Dr Singh repeated India's demand that Pakistan end cross-border infiltration by Kashmiri freedom fighters, as Gen Musharraf had pledged when he met Dr Singh's predecessor, Atal Behari Vajpayee, last January.

"So long as Pakistan abides by its commitments as given in January 2004 we are prepared to engage in a serious dialogue with Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues, and that also applies to the issue of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

High-level talks are planned this month when Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz meets Dr Singh during a stop in New Delhi for a regional meeting. Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil, visiting Kashmir on Saturday, said India was not putting any conditions on the talks and Dr Singh also took a conciliatory stance.

"President Musharraf has been realistic enough to say that solutions (on Kashmir)) that are not acceptable to India should be out and solutions that are not acceptable to Pakistan should also be out," he told the Financial Times.-Reuters

Jawed Naqwi adds from Delhi: The Indian premier was also quoted by the FT as saying that he wanted a strong, stable and prosperous Pakistan as partner in the manner in which France and Germany became the hub of a formidable European Union.

In the interview which was also published in the Delhi-based Business Standard, he appeared to be mildly cautious of a proposed gas pipeline between Iran and India that would transit through Pakistan.

"I and President Musharraf signed the joined statement in which we listed our joint interest in the development of this pipeline, and it could be an important factor, though our view is that there are issues with regard to the security of supply."

Asked if India would be comfortable with a European Union model as a basis for ties with Pakistan, Dr Singh replied in the affirmative.

"I certainly very much hope... the creation of the European economic union was a great act of far sighted statesmanship. So I sincerely hope that economic ties and strengthening of economic relations with Pakistan would create in both countries the constituencies that would recognize that whatever our differences, we would have to resolve them in a peaceful manner," he said.