Monday, May 2 2005 22:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Making it clear that its stand on the Jammu and Kashmir issue remains unchanged, Pakistan today (May 2, 2005) hoped a new modality could emerge out of the current dialogue process with India to resolve the issue.

Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani told reporters in Islamabad said that there was no plan or understanding reached to retain the status quo on Kashmir, as reportedly alleged by hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

"With regard to any plan, let me very emphatically say that there are no pre-conceived plans. Pakistan has a principled position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. We have said time and gain at every level that the issue will and has to be resolved in accordance with aspirations of people of Kashmir," he said.

On fears expressed by Geelani that there was a conspiracy to kill him, he said "we hope and pray that his apprehensions are ill founded and we wish him good luck and long life".

Asked whether there was any alternative to plebiscite, which Pakistan in the past has insisted under the UN resolutions on Kashmir, he said "plebiscite is one method where by you could judge the aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir".

Elaborating on an alternative, he said "when you associate the people of Jammu and Kashmir in a dialogue process, from the process can also emerge a modality whereby the issue of Jammu and Kashmir could also be resolved in accordance with the wishes of people of Jammu and Kashmir".

Asked about ruling PML-Q president Shujaat Hussain's comments that Kashmir issue could be resolved by 2007, Jilani said "there is a national consensus between Pakistan Foreign Office and political parties that Kashmir issue should be resolved at the earliest".

"The kind of efforts made by the leadership of the Pakistan and India gives a hope for early settlement of Kashmir issue. Kashmiris have suffered for the past 58 years and would be clamouring for peaceful settlement. The recent efforts gives hope for an early settlement but no time line can be given," he said.

On the future of United Nations Monitoring Group of India and Pakistan, (UNMOGIP), he said there was no recent suggestion to discuss its future in the wake of comments by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan that he would discuss its future with India and Pakistan.

"Our position is that it should be allowed to complete its mandate till such time the Kashmir dispute is resolved," he said.

On the Baglihar project, he said both India and Pakistan are considering a response to a World Bank proposal suggesting three names of international neutral experts to arbitrate to resolve the differences.

Both the countries have to respond by May 9.

On the Kishenganga hydro project being planned by India in Jammu and Kashmir, he said Pakistan considered its design a "violation" of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.

The countries have held talks on this in the past and planned to hold yet another round on May 7 in Islamabad.

"In case two sides fail to agree the case will be referred to the World Bank. If the issue is not resolved bilaterally obviously we will refer it to World Bank for satisfactory solution," he added.