COLOMBO, March 14: Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Mushahid Hussain Sayed said on Friday that by showing sluggish response to the Pakistan-India peace dialogue initiated by President Pervez Musharraf, India had lost a golden opportunity to resolve the Kashmir dispute.

Speaking at a seminar at the Regional Institute of Strategic Studies of Sri Lanka, Mr Hussain said India had enhanced confrontation by sending the body of Khalid Mahmood in response to the release of Kashmir Singh.

He said President Musharraf had submitted various proposals to India to resolve the Kashmir issue, but India did not respond to these proposals in a positive way and lost the chance to resolve the dispute when Pakistan’s army was also willing to settle it through dialogue.

Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that under the US pressure India voted against Iran in the UN Security Council and received nuclear technology from the US while Pakistan did not accept the US pressure about its nuclear programme.

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said that despite immense US pressure, Pakistan did not send its forces to Iraq.

He said the US has to change and revise its policies, especially towards Muslim countries and for the Asian region.

Mr Hussain said there was need for economic cooperation in Asia to solve the problems of the people through consultation and coordination.

The PML-Q leader said the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project would strengthen relations in the region and promote cooperation.

Mushahid Hussain Sayed said Pakistan had very close ties with Sri Lanka and always valued these relations.

He praised Sri Lanka for opposing the move in the Commonwealth to suspend Pakistan’s membership.

Mr Hussain called on opposition leader Karma Singh and discussed matters of mutual interest.—APP