ISLAMABAD, Oct 12 Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said here on Tuesday that the Pakistan-India dialogue was delayed apparently because of his speech in the United Nations General Assembly, stressing the need for resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions and aspirations of the people of Kashmir.

Talking to reporters after briefing the Senate House Committee on Kashmir and Foreign Affairs on Pakistan's fresh efforts for resolving the Kashmir dispute, Mr Qureshi said “Apparently, the Indians did not like my statement and thus have delayed their response to the resumption of dialogue earlier offered by them.”

The in-camera session of the committee, convened by its chairman Senator Salim Saifullah Khan on a request by the Human Rights Society of Pakistan, condemned the Indian atrocities against Kashmiri youths and expressed complete confidence in the government's Kashmir policy and the methods suggested by the Foreign Office for its resolution.

Mr Qureshi told reporters he had informed the committee that the people of India also were not satisfied with their government's Kashmir policy. “India can no longer suppress the independence movement which has been taken over by Kashmiri youths,” he added.

The committee stressed that Pakistan should support the new phase of movement launched by the Kashmiri youths.

Senator S.M. Zafar said efforts should be made to unite all Kashmiri leaders to strengthen the freedom movement.

The foreign minister assured the committee that the government would formulate its foreign and Kashmir policies in accordance with guidelines set by parliament.

He said that because of Pakistan's strong reaction to incursions by Afghanistan-based Isaf forces, Nato and the United States had to tender unqualified apology.

About neuroscientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui, Mr Qureshi said Pakistan had tried her release and senior functionaries had voiced concern in meetings with US officials. The government has provided financial assistance and legal aid to Dr Aafia.

Prof Khurshid Ahmad of Jamaat-i-Islami said that in the past whenever governments deviated from Pakistan's principled stand on Kashmir, the country's national interests were hurt and that practice should not be repeated. He said that Pakistan should continue to reiterate its stand that the Kashmir issue needed to be resolved in accordance with the UN resolution.