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Describing India's rejection of its offer of troop withdrawal as "unfortunate", Pakistan on Thursday hoped that officials of the two countries would meet on the sidelines of Munich Conference on Security Policy on Friday.
"It is unfortunate (that) such an eminently good gesture from Pakistan has once again been spurned on some flimsy pretext. We would rather discuss things across the table seriously," foreign office spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said.
Asked about the possibility of a meeting between National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra and Pakistan Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar at the Munich Conference, he said: "There will be no lack of enthusiasm on our side."
Replying to a question on the formalisation of the Line of Control as the International Border, Khan said: "As far as the Kashmir issue is concerned, there are UN resolutions... there is also the Simla agreement, which calls for talks to resolve this dispute."
The spokesman said: "The representatives of the two countries have to hold talks with each other, and the Kashmiri people have to be involved. Then we can determine what the people of Kashmir decide for the fate of the state in which they live."
Defence spokesman Major General Rashid Qureshi, who was present, said the LoC had been in effect for 40 to 50 years. "The problem seems to be the LoC. The problem cannot be a solution."
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