ISLAMABAD, April 1: Foreign office spokesman Masood Ahmed Khan has welcomed the statement of Indian Home Minister L.K. Advani in which he expresed the hope that the Indo-Pakistan dialogue would continue.

This is a good, positive statement, the spokesman told a private TV channel on Thursday. He said the Indian home minister had also expressed the hope that in light of decisions taken during the foreign secretaries' meetings in February both countries would try to take the dialogue process ahead.

Mr Masood Khan said Pakistan endorsed this position and was fully prepared to take the dialogue process forward. He said it was a common responsibility of the people of India, Pakistan and Kashmir that the issue of Kashmir was resolved.

In reply to a question, he said the atmosphere was conducive between the two countries and cricket matches were being played and Pakistan was hosting the SAF games.

He said the real challenge was to make the dialogue result-oriented and purposeful. President Musharraf had stressed this aspect during an interview on Wednesday, he added.

The spokesman said there was no uncertainty in dialogue as far as the Kashmir issue was concerned and added that Pakistan would participate in the process with full sincerity. Pakistan would try its best to make the dialogue successful, he added. -APP