Islamabad, June 30: Pakistan has indicated that it may carry forward the progress made on Kashmir and other issues through composite dialogue or back-channel diplomacy with India.
At the same time, it trashed former President Pervez Musharraf’s four-point formula for resolving the Kashmir issue, saying it was “his thinking” which did not have the endorsement of Parliament or Cabinet.       
“We will not like to ignore anything. We will not like to ignore any development or any positive development that has taken place between India and Pakistan,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told PTI in an interview here.
He was responding when asked to comment on India’s emphasis that there was a need to “reaffirm” the progress made through “complex negotiations and dialogue through patient and unsung effort” whether in the composite dialogue or back channel diplomacy.
 “Any issue, whether it is Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Water, any issue where progress can be made, should be made. Where it hasn’t been made, we should look at ways and means how to make progress. Where progress has been made, let us build on it further,” Qureshi said in a wide-ranging interaction.
 He will be having talks with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna here on July 15 to discuss ways to reduce trust deficit and improve ties.
 Asked whether his government endorses the four-point formula floated by Musharraf in December 2006 to resolve Kashmir issue, the Foreign Minister said, “The four-point formula that Gen Musharraf made then was his thinking. It was being done through quiet back-channel diplomacy.”
 The formula envisaged softening of Line of Control (LoC), self-governance, phased withdrawal of troops from entire Jammu and Kashmir and joint supervision by India and Pakistan.
 “We are a democracy, Parliament has to own them, Parliament has to endorse them, Cabinet has to discuss them,” the Foreign Minister said, adding these proposals were “neither discussed by Cabinet, nor endorsed by Parliament. So, as democrats, there are certain Parliamentary procedures that we have to fulfil.”

Lastupdate on : Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
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