Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on May 5 night held a meeting with leaders of major political parties, seeking to build a consensus on the peace initiative with India, as Islamabad virtually backed New Delhi's stand that careful preparations were needed for summit-level talks.

Leaders of Pakistan's political parties, which have representation in the National Assembly, attended the meeting held at the official residence of Jamali, two days after he extended a formal invitation to his Indian counterpart Atal Behari Vajpayee to visit Islamabad for talks.

Within hours of the invitation, Vajpayee had written back to Jamali saying a careful preparation on the ground was necessary for meaningful engagement at the highest level.

President Pervez Musharraf, in an interview to a private Pakistani television channel, said Pakistan could work for a no-war pact with India, followed mutual reduction of troops and de-nuclearisation of South Asia if Kashmir issue was resolved.

Asserting that Pakistan was ready for a composite bilateral dialogue at any level to discuss all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said Islamabad was also ready to get rid of its nuclear arsenal if India did the same.

Terming as "positive" Vajpayee's reply to the invitation from his Pakistani counterpart Mir Zafarullah Jamali to visit Islamabad, Aziz Ahmad Khan said Pakistan was not disappointed about Vajpayee's suggestion for careful ground work before the summit-level talks.

PTI