Pak calls for inclusion of Kashmiri leaders as part of peace dialogue with India

Pakistan has called for the inclusion of the Kashmiri leaders as a part of the dialogue with India for resolving the years-long border dispute.

The statement came after Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz met Hurriyat leaders on his visit to the Indian capital.

Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said Kashmir is the core issue between the two countries and expressed a desire of resumption of dialogue with India over the disputed border, Dawn News reports.

The spokesman said that Islamabad has always extended moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination.

He further added that the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries have made several contacts on the tense situation on the Line of Control (LoC) and agreed to normalise the situation.

He also said that the 2003 ceasefire agreement should be respected for a peaceful environment between the two neighbors, the report added.

Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid, meanwhile, criticized the recent events of ceasefire violations on the Kashmir border by the Pakistani army, saying that these incidents are not seen as encouragement for a meaningful dialogue.