LAHORE, May 12: Federal Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that resolution of Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiris is the top priority of Pakistan.

He was talking to newsmen at Alhamra on Monday before attending a condolence reference held for poet Syed Zamir Jaffery.

The minister said: “all routes to peace in South Asia emanate from Kashmir and so long as this core issue is not resolved there cannot be any peace in the region.”

Sheikh Rashid said Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali has announced the package for initiating peace process with India with all sincerity. “We hope India would reciprocate it with the same spirit.”

Regarding test firing of missiles by India during the last four days, the minister said: “We are not going to be provocated and want peace process to succeed.”

He, however, said that there should not be any misconception about Pakistan defence as the country has all what India has in its arsenals.

The minister said the government-opposition committee on the LFO will make its recommendations reflecting view points of different parties and alliances, including MMA, PPPP, PML-N and others.

He said recommendations on different clauses of the LFO would be presented to a 30-member committee comprising leaders of all main political parties for approval.

To a question, Sheikh Rashid said: “I hope talks on the LFO would succeed. If failed, the assemblies and government would not be affected.” —APP