Pak wants US role in resolving Kashmir issue

Islamabad: Pakistan wants the world at large and the US in particular to play a role in resolving its disputes with India, including that of Kashmir, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Thursday.

The resolution of Pakistan's core issues would help it focus on the war against extremism and terrorism on its western border to ensure peace and stability in South Asia, APP news agency quoted Gilani as saying when visiting US National Security Advisor James Jones called on him in Islamabad.

On his part, Jones stated that the US would help in every possible way for the resumption of the Pakistan-India dialogue, now frozen in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai carnage that New Delhi blames on elements operating from this country.

India says the dialogue can be resumed only after Pakistan takes tangible action against the perpetrators of the November 26-29, 2008, terror attacks in Mumbai that claimed more than 170 lives, including those of 26 foreign nationals.

Pointing to Pakistan's "strong anti-terrorist action", the prime minister expressed his disappointment over the world's inadequate response to helping it "win against evil forces and provide relief to the dislocated people".

He again urged the US to write off Pakistan's debt to help it overcome its immediate economic difficulties and make up for the economic losses it suffered as a frontline state in war against terror.

Gilani also noted that while the Pakistani military's anti-Taliban operations in the Malakand division of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) were "now nearing successful conclusion", the promises of capacity building of its law enforcement agencies still remained unfulfilled.

Once the military action was over, these agencies would take over, he maintained.

Gilani also expressed his concern that there would be an influx of refugees from Afghanistan in the aftermath of new deployment of US and NATO forces there.

He called for stopping the drone attacks in order to ensure success of Pakistan's strategy for isolating the militants from the tribes.

Jones expressed his full agreement with Gilani's views and assured him that the US government would do everything possible to help Pakistan, APP said.