Islamabad: Pakistan has said it was "minutely" examining the response to President Pervez Musharraf's formulation to resolve the Kashmir issue and would go by public opinion while chalking out the formal proposals.

A solution to the Kashmir issue has to be evolved that satisfied India, Pakistan and Kashmiris, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri told reporters in Lahore yesterday (Nov 17, 2004), reacting to External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh's remarks that India would certainly look into Musharraf's formulation if it is made formally.

Kasuri said his Government was currently "minutely" examining the response to Musharraf's proposals and would go by the public opinion.

Denying any U- turn on Pakistan's stand on Kashmir, he said Islamabad has a clear and principled stance on the issue, and the proposals acceptable to the Kashmiris would be submitted during the Composite Dialogue with India.

"We want peace with honour as durable peace based on honour is essential for the region," he was quoted as saying by the media in Islamabad.

Kasuri said Musharraf did not submit any concrete proposals regarding the issue but only suggested a debate on his options to divide Kashmir into seven regions on both sides of LoC (Line of Control) demilitarise them and change their status.

Kasuri said the final proposals would be submitted after taking Kashmiris into confidence. Only those proposals would be result-oriented which were acceptable to the Kashmiris as both India and Pakistan could resolve the issue but if that was not acceptable to Kashmiris, such a dialogue would not be fruitful, he said.