Lahore: The primacy of Kashmir issue should be maintained in Indo-Pak talks, since New Delhi "wants to freeze the subject".

Thus spoke former Foreign Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Sartaj Aziz at the 'Issue of the Day' programme arranged by the Nation/Nawa-i-Waqt.

Answering questions from the audience, Sartaj rejected any formula on Kashmir, saying debating formulas at this stage was not in Pakistan's interest.

"We should not let down the Kashmiris and wait for the best opportunity," he said, while underlining the need for political stability, 'The Nation' reported.

Former Information Minister Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed pointed out that the Indian leadership had as yet not clearly hinted at any solution to the long-standing problem. He identified four causes behind the new Indian offer.

First, it is a US factor, which has a lot to do with the new initiatives on the part of both India and Pakistan, Mushahid said.

After Iraq war, the US wants to settle Kashmir, Palestine and South Korea disputes. The road map for Palestine is in place, resumption of dialogues on Kashmir is under way while the US is engaged with South Korea through China, he explained.

Second, the US has its own interests in the region and Mushahid hinted at the possibility of a defence pact between US, India and Israel to counter China in the region.

Washington, according to him, wanted to break status quo at different levels either through regime or policy change.

Third, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in his view also wants to win the Muslim votes against Congress in the next election and bridge the gap created during anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat last year.

Fourth, Vajpayee also wants to prove himself as a moderate who has seized initiative from the hawks vis- a-vis Pakistan, according to him.

Commenting further on the Kashmir issue, Mushahid said that so far neither had the US had unveiled any plan for a settlement nor did India indicate its readiness for a resolution. Indian leadership has been only emphasising on normalisation of relations.

Moreover, India considered Kashmir problem an obstacle to its efforts to achieve the status of a superpower in the region, the Senator remarked, the newspaper added.

ANI