KARACHI, June 4: The visiting Indian opposition leader and President of the Bharatia Janata Party, L K Advani, has said that peace process between Pakistan and India shall be pursued without any let-up and made irreversible. He said for a couple of years things had been rapidly changing. The problems of past several decades, which led to hardening of attitudes and tensions, should be solved with patience, tolerance and determination, he added.

Mr Advani was talking to journalists at the Governor’s House on Friday after his meeting with Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad. “I agree some four or five years back, people had no idea of the situation which is prevailing today and has brought about a rapid change for good”, Mr Advani said and stressed the need for taking the peace process to its logical end.

He said today the scenario has changed. “Although I am not in the government now, I am happy the peace process, initiated by Vajpayee-led BJP government, is being taken forward by the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,” he added.

Answering a question, he said specific problems could only be discussed and decisions could only be taken on the issues by the governments while the oppositions could facilitate the process of peace between Islamabad and New Delhi.

About a Hurriyat Conference leader’s stand on the Kashmir issue, he said different communities lived in Jammu and Kashmir and when he was deputy prime minister, he had initiated the process of dialogue with them.

Mr Advani said he was happy to visit his birthplace after 27 years as the last time he had visited Karachi was in 1978. When asked if he would pay a visit to Hyderabad also, Mr Advani said he had no plans to go there.