Jalandhar: Former Prime Minister I K Gujral on April 19 welcomed Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's offer of a hand of friendship to Pakistan and dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir to settle "internal and external issues".

"I must compliment the Prime Minister for going to Kashmir, addressing a rally and offering peace talks with Pakistan and the people of Jammu and Kashmir," he told reporters.

"The peaceful Assembly election in the state…the Prime Minister's visit to J and K and addressing a rally there… these are signs which show that situation in the state is changing fast towards peace," Gujral said, congratulating the people of Kashmir for attending the rally in large numbers despite Hurriyat Conference's boycott call.

Asked whether the Centre has taken a U-turn on its stand on the talks with Pakistan since it had said earlier that no talks could be held with the neighbouring country till it stops abetting cross-border terrorism, Gujral said, "Although it is deviation from earlier statement by the Prime Minister, I still welcome it."

Justifying India's stand on US war on Iraq, he said though the Centre never opposed the US, it had always opposed attack on Iraq. "We did not want war. But we were of the opinion that if Iraq was having weapons of mass destruction, it should be destroyed."

Gujral replied in the negative when asked whether he would contest from Jalandhar in the next Parliamentary election.

PTI