United Nations: Pakistan has said it does not envisage that the change of Government in India would cause delay in commencing the composite dialogue process scheduled to begin in June to resolve all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.

"Normally there is some delay when a new Government takes over. Hopefully, the Government in India will be formed much before then (the timeframe for meetings). So that cannot be a reason for delay," Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said yesterday (May 17, 2004).

He was hopeful there would not be any delay in the meeting at foreign secretaries level in June and that of Foreign Ministers in July or August.

India and Pakistan had chalked out a timetable in February to discuss all bilateral issues.

Kasuri said he also wanted the new Government in India to be assured that Pakistan is committed to peace.

"As far as Government of Pakistan is concerned, I would like to assure the new government that we are determined to have peace with India," he said after addressing the UN Security Council on peacekeeping operations.

He welcomed "some very positive" statements issued by the Congress to continue the dialogue.

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi herself had affirmed the position of her party's to continue the peace process in her very first statement after the poll outcome.

"This shows how much importance she attaches to continuing peace process between India and Pakistan," Kasuri said.