LAHORE, Nov 21: Opposition leader and MMA's central leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman believes that Pakistan and India are discussing options other than their stated positions on Kashmir.

Speaking at the concluding session of South Asia Free Media Association's conference here on Sunday, he said both the neighbouring countries were holding talks to seek some solution to the five-decade-old dispute that could be acceptable to them.

Stressing the role of politicians in settling disputes like Kashmir, he said bureaucrats could not go out of their respective files (mandate). He was optimistic about the outcome of the talks "provided there comes no new Kargil in their way."

Maulana Fazl said that the Kargil war which followed the Lahore Declaration had put Pakistan on the defensive (on the Kashmir issue) and derailed the peace process. Welcoming world powers' pressure on both the neighbouring states for solving the dispute, he, however, opposed accepting any solution to the conflict suggested by them.

Maulana Fazl said since the people of both the countries wanted peaceful resolutions to all conflicts, the governments of Pakistan and India had been left with no option but to resume.

He chided the West, especially the United States, for following a policy of use of brute power that was breeding terrorism instead of eliminating it. Criticizing the world powers for changing their priorities and standards of human rights, he said the events of 9/11 had re-generated the question of independence of nations. He also charged the US with for arresting two reporters covering the Iraq war.

PML secretary-general Senator Mushahid Hussain said the credit of initiating dialogue process with India over a host of issues, including the core issue of Kashmir, went to the present government and the ruling party.

PPP-P MNA Aitzaz Ahsan said continuation of dialogue process between the two countries was a good sign, and needed to be further enhanced. Appreciating Safma's efforts, he said media would have to put in extra for highlighting commonalities among the people of both the countries.

PML-N vice-president Begum Tehmina Daultana said understanding between the people of Pakistan and India could be possible only when they would be allowed to interact with each other freely.