LAHORE, July 3: Prof Dr Mugheesuddin Sheikh, the director Institute of Communication Studies of the Punjab University, has deplored that “the cold shoulder by Indian authorities towards Pakistan’s initiatives for solution to the Kashmir problem has disappointed the intelligentsia here”.

Outstanding issues between the two nuclear states could be resolved only through talks, Dr Mughees said at a dialogue with a delegation of Indian university representatives here on Tuesday. The 10-member Indian youth delegation, headed by Sadra Ali Khan, director, Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs, is on a visit to Pakistan on the invitation of the ministry of youth affairs.

The ICS faculty and student body exchanged views with the Indian guests on wide-ranging issues ranging from the media education to regional politics.

Dr Mughees told a questioner that the Pakistani media did not promote hatred against India, but the Bollywood had done so on many occasions by producing anti-Pakistan movies.

In order to make the cricket diplomacy succeed, he said, the Indians would have to promote ‘sportsmanship’ because a defeat in a match should not mean a battlefield.

Describing the talks as a meaningful activity, Sadra Ali Khan said secular India maintained multi-religion and multi-culture outlook and, therefore, the question of feeling threat from Pakistan was immaterial.

Later, the Indian delegation went around the PU Radio FM 104.6, TV studio, audio/video and Noam Chomsky multi-media computer lab.

Meanwhile, the Indian delegation met PU acting vice-chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Arif Butt, registrar Prof Dr Muhammad Naeem Khan and faculties’ deans.

The acting VC briefed the delegation on the academic and research activities being carried out in the university.