KARACHI, July 14: Federal minister for information and media development, Nisar Memon, on Sunday said that the firm stand which the present the government had taken on the issue of Kashmir had never been taken with such firmness in the past.

“India dared not move forward and cast an evil eye on Pakistan”, the minister said in an interaction with senior journalists at the PTV station where he participated in a live discussion programme with political leaders on the proposed constitutional amendments announced by the government.

Nisar Memon said that shuttle diplomacy had once again started and Pakistan would surely have an upper hand.

He said that President Pervez Musharraf was quite firm against terrorists and he had boldly implemented the decision regarding the registration of Madaris. He said that those Madaris were part of our culture and would remain so.

The minister said the decision about their registration was taken only to check those elements who might have used Madaris for their ulterior motives.

Speaking about Pakistan’s foreign policy, Nisar Memon referred to the recently held meeting of the OIC in Khartoum, besides holding a Pakistan Contact Group meeting. He added the OIC meeting was followed by a communique which held out all support to the Kashmir cause.

The minister said that headway was also made on the “dialogue” aspect on the issue of Kashmir and the OIC had appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to highlight the necessity of dialogue.—APP