Saturday, May 28 2005 16:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Apparently reacting to India's reservations over Hurriyat leaders travelling to Pakistan by the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus, Islamabad has criticised New Delhi's "obduracy" and threatened to seek implementation of UN resolutions on Kashmir if the neighbour did not respond to its CBMs.

The Indian "stubbornness" could force Pakistan to review its existing policy, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri was quoted as saying by 'The News' daily in his native town Kasuri yesterday (May 27, 2005).

He said the composite dialogue process could not be meaningful without the active participation of Kashmiris, particularly the Hurriyat Conference, whose leaders he termed as "the real representative party" of the Kashmiris.

Kasuri said Pakistan "softened" its stance on Kashmir only to avoid a third war in the region in 2003, but like the past it proved that the peace process with India could not last long.

He said India was still opposing participation of Kashmiris in talks. "They cannot be left alone at this critical stage."

Kasuri said Pakistan would seek implementation of UN resolutions on Kashmir if India did not respond to the Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) taken by it.

His comments were seen as a reaction to the remarks by an External Affairs Ministry spokesman who said that travel to Pakistan by Hurriyat leaders, in response to the invitation from Islamabad, on June 2 was not in conformity with the agreement between the two countries on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service.