NEW DELHI, April 18: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and BJP leader L.K. Advani has expressed satisfaction over the outcome of talks between Indian and Pakistani leaders and said that the peace process between the two countries has made progress. Mr Advani was talking to a group of journalists at a dinner hosted by the Pakistan High Commission.

In reply to a question, he said that if India and Pakistan reached harmony and built bridges of confidence, it would be beneficial not only for the people of the two countries but also of the entire region.

He recalled that the initiative of fostering good relations between the two countries was taken during the BJP government and prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and President Gen Pervez Musharraf had issued a joint statement which was a major breakthrough.

He said the major cause of tension between the two countries was distrust and the biggest source of distrust was terrorism. The firm stand taken by Gen Musharraf against terrorism had helped the government of India to initiate the peace process.

Answering a question, he said that the Manmohan Singh government had “taken the initiative in this regard with our consultation”.

He said that he did not like to say at this stage anything which could affect the progress made in the peace process as it was not a matter to score points. When asked about his visit to Pakistan, he said that he was likely to go to Pakistan in coming June and also visit his birthplace in Hyderabad.—Special Correspondent