Islamabad: Expressing desire to have better relations with India, President Pervez Musharraf has said Pakistan would "not budge a single inch" from its position on the Kashmir issue.

"We wish to improve the bilateral ties with India, as Pakistan wants durable peace in South Asia," he said at a meeting on January 13, which was attended by Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Foreign Minister Khursheed Mohammad Kasuri and top military officials.

However, he said there would be no compromise on Pakistan's principled stand on Kashmir issue.

Pakistan had time and again stated that it wanted to develop ties with India that were based on equality. "But it would not budge a single inch from its position on Kashmir and other disputes under any coercion or blackmail," Musharraf was quoted as saying by the media.

Foreign Secretary Riaz Kokhar briefed the meeting about the country's policy perspectives focusing on Pakistan-US relations, which in the recent weeks came under strains, especially after Washington directed all Pakistanis visiting and residing in America to register under Immigration and Naturalisation Services.

The US decision has stirred strong emotions in Pakistan as thousands of Pakistanis, especially the illegal immigrants would have to line up to register themselves. The Pakistan government has made repeated appeals to US officials to remove the country from the list in view of its co-operation in the crackdown against Taleban and al- Qaida militants. But the Bush administration has not obliged so far.

PTI