LAHORE, May 11: PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Husain has underlined the need for the settlement of all outstanding disputes between Pakistan and India, including the core issue of Kashmir, to bring an end to tension and normalize relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Speaking at a meeting of his party legislators here on Sunday, he said without peace, the two countries would not be able to progress.

The meeting was organized to take participants into confidence on the state of relations between Pakistan and India.

Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Federal Education Minister Zobaida Jalal, Adviser Nilofer Bakhtiar and Gujrat district nazim Chaudhry Shafaat Husain also participated.

Pakistan, Chaudhry Shujaat recalled, had always sought the settlement of the Kashmir problem in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. He said the situation in Afghanistan and Iraq had changed the situation across the globe, including South Asia, which necessitated the normalization of ties between Islamabad and New Delhi in all fields.

The PML-Q chief said Prime Minister Jamali had already taken opposition parties into confidence on the future prospects of India-Pakistan relations and he (Shujaat) was holding the meeting with his party colleagues in the same connection.

He said although the LFO controversy had nothing to do with unemployment, price hike and other problems, the government was engaged in talks with opposition parties to find a solution. He was confident that the parleys would yield positive results.

Various participants offered suggestions for the solution to the common man’s problems.