RAWALPNDI, Oct 30: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said on Saturday that Pakistan has not given up its principled stand on Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing that a solution to the dispute could only be found if both India and Pakistan agreed to move beyond their stated positions.

The president said that he had not spelt out any solutions to the issue but had only asked the media to identify various options and initiate a meaningful debate on them.

Addressing a delegation of the newly elected members of the Northern Areas Legislative Council, President Musharraf said a solution to the dispute should be acceptable to Pakistan, India and the Kashmiri people.

"Both the countries will have to show flexibility for finding a solution that is acceptable to them and the Kashmiri people as well. The resolution of the dispute will be in the interest of peace and development of the region and all the parties concerned."

In his address, the president reiterated the government's commitment to bring the remote and neglected areas into the mainstream of socio-economic development.

Referring to his recently announced Rs500 million development package for the Northern Areas, President Musharraf said it would empower the people both politically and economically.

He called upon the elected representatives to utilize the resources at the grass-roots level for sustainable economic progress.

He said the government would alleviate any sense of deprivation among the people of the neglected areas.-APP