ISLAMABAD, July 12: Pakistan on Monday declared that the ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the Israeli wall on the Palestinian territory was a moral victory for the international community and urged India to dismantle its fencing along the Line of Control in Kashmir.

Speaking at his weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said Israel must respect the ICJ ruling, instead of defying it. "We believe dismantling the wall is the most advisable course of action because it will be the biggest confidence-building measure to facilitate peace process in the Middle East."

The spokesman dismissed as incorrect a remark made by a newsman that Pakistan was negligent in raising the issue of the fence being built by India along the Line of Control.

He asserted that Islamabad had on several occasions lodged its protest with the United Nations and the Indian government against the fencing as it was an illegal act, contrary to the bilateral and UN agreements. A number of demarche were also made to Delhi.

However, Pakistan did not have to be unduly anxious over the fencing issue, the spokesman said, observing that it could not alter the status of the LoC; it was a temporary line, and was to be subjected to the will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"This is a wire and not a wall and does not separate the people of Kashmir living on both sides of the LoC," he added. The Kashmir issue was still to be resolved since it was a dispute recognized by the world community and was an item on the UN agenda. The fencing could not separate the people of Jammu and Kashmir and eventually it (fencing) would be sold as scrap to scrap-dealers, the spokesman observed.

Mr Khan deprecated the prevalent culture of violence and killings in held Kashmir and deplored the recent arson of a madressah there which caused a deep anguish to Muslims in Pakistan, India and other countries. The arson destroyed not only the 100-year-old religious institution, it also resulted in the loss of rare manuscripts.

Replying to a question, the spokesman acknowledged the sacrifices made by Kashmiri people under the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), and said the organization recently demonstrated its maturity by uniting at the top level of leadership.

He said that the APHC's move for unification was a step in the right direction as at some point of the dialogue between Pakistan and India on Kashmir, representatives of Kashmiris were to be associated with the dialogue process for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. No lasting settlement without the APHC leaders' participation and consent could be achieved.

Responding to a question, the spokesman said that foreign press reports that Washington had been pressurising Pakistan to arrest Osama bin Laden or another equally important Al Qaeda figure, were without substance.

"The war against terrorism is a serious, arduous war. It should not be trivialised by such sensational and speculative stories," the spokesman added. Mr Khan said nobody knew where Osama bin Laden and his associates were. He also clarified that Pakistan did not make a linkage between the war on terrorism and the US electoral calendar. "It is preposterous," he added.

When asked whether the visit of US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who was due on Wednesday, was mainly to insist Pakistan to secure the arrest of Osama bin Laden and to seek assistance of Pakistani troops for peacekeeping in Iraq, the spokesman said Islamabad had not been approached so far for military deployment in Iraq.

He said Islamabad had not yet responded to a request made about a year ago seeking deployment of Pakistani troops for protection of UN staff in Iraq. The spokesman said Pakistan would send its troops to Iraq, if deemed appropriate, under UN mandate.