New Delhi: Pakistan tonight (Nov 10) said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is "the only leader" who can take "bold steps" to resolve outstanding issues between the two countries, as he was rated highly by its people.

"Vajpayee is the only leader who can take bold steps to resolve Indo-Pak issues. Other than him, I think it is all darkness," Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid, who is here to attend the two-day South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Information Ministers' conference beginning tomorrow (Nov 11), told reporters.

"Vajpayee is an extremely experienced man and nobody can beat experience," he said.

Rashid, who arrived in New Delhi early this morning from Dubai on board an Indian Airlines flight, expressed hope that the Indian Prime Minister along with his colleagues will be able to take steps to find solutions to Indo-Pak problems.

Asked to elaborate, Rashid said, "For the intelligent, a pointer should be enough."

Asked about possibility of his meeting Vajpayee, Rashid said he would try and meet him after the inauguration of SAARC conference tomorrow by the Indian Prime Minister.

"Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali have sent their warm greetings, good wishes and a message of friendship for the Indian Prime Minister and I will require only a short while with him to convey this message since he is leaving on foreign tour tomorrow after that," he said at a reception hosted by Pakistani High Commissioner Aziz Ahmed Khan.

On the issue of resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue, he said if "intentions were good, these all issues can be resolved. Otherwise there will be only statements for the media."

To a question about Pakistan's lukewarm response to India's 12-point peace proposals, Rashid said Islamabad had welcomed the "good ones" and also given certain counter proposals for New Delhi's consideration.

"Pakistan has not rejected all the proposals," he said.

Asked about possibility of holding SAARC Film Festival when Indian TV channels and Bollywood films were banned in Pakistan, he said this could be considered.

"Indian audio and video cassettes of films are doing pretty well in Pakistan," he said without elaborating.

PTI