Pakistan has indicated that behind-the-scenes talks were under way with India, but said Kashmir remained central to any meaningful engagement with India, Dawn reported.

“We believe durable peace, security and development in the region hinge on peaceful resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” Foreign Office spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry told a press briefing in Islamabad on Friday.

“We, therefore, believe that the two sides need to discuss all outstanding issues including Jammu and Kashmir with a view to seeking peaceful resolution of this long outstanding dispute as per international legitimacy.”

Chaudhry was replying to questions about back-channel contacts between India and Pakistan and chances of a meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

He said states had ways and means to communicate with other which remained available even during wars, indirectly confirming that behind-the-scenes talks were under way between the two countries.

“So, what is important is that whether Pakistan is ready to talk to India; what needs to be discussed between the two sides; and whether a meaningful and result-oriented dialogue can take place under the current environment,” he said.

The FO spokesman said that Pakistan had never shied away from talks with India and it had always underscored the need for a meaningful dialogue and peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

As  for the role of third parties, he said Pakistan has always maintained that the international community has an important role to play in averting risks to peace and stability in the region and facilitating a just and lasting solution to the Jammu and Kashmir issue.

Asked to comment on the US National Intelligence Council’s assessment that Pakistan and India might stumble into a war in the next five years, he said Pakistan continues to promote peace, security and stability in the region for the prosperity of the country and of the South Asian region on the whole.

About Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, the spokesman urged India to cooperate with the Pakistani courts by inter-alia appointing a lawyer in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case.

About US troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, Chaudhry said Pakistan had been consistently supporting and facilitating efforts for durable peace and stability in Afghanistan.

“We believe there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and a negotiated political solution through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process is important for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan”.

(SAM)