Kuala Lumpur: After failing to elicit any response from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on Kashmir, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on February 25 claimed he had not come to the Summit to seek support on the issue and "raise tempers" but was ready for a dialogue with India to resolve Kashmir and all outstanding matters.

"I had no intention of raising tempers here and I did not name anyone in my address to NAM. I spoke about it (Kashmir) as a matter of principle," he told a press conference after new NAM Chairman Malaysia made it clear that the 116-member grouping had no place for conflict resolution between member states.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had lashed out at Musharraf for raising the Kashmir issue and comparing it to the Palestinian conflict saying that the Pakistani leader was trying to justify terrorism against India by talking about root causes.

Despite being cold-shouldered by India on resumption of the dialogue with Pakistan, Musharraf said in reply to questions that "I would love to meet any leader. But I think you clap with two hands. I did not make any efforts to meet (the Indian Prime Minister) as the other hand to clap did not come."

On Musharraf's remarks comparing Kashmir to the Palestinian conflict, Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal told reporters that the entire world recognised that Israel was occupying territory and by drawing a parallel, the Pakistani leader had actually "diluted" the Palestinian cause.

PTI