Friday, September 2 2005 10:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The US has said that it was "encouraging" India and Pakistan to hold discussions to build trust and confidence for resolving the Kashmir issue.

"This is an issue of ongoing discussion in the International community. I know that India and Pakistan have talked about it," State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said at a briefing in Washington on August 31, 2005.

"Certainly, we encourage those discussions and they're continuing to take steps that build up trust and confidence to address the differences they have on this issue," he said

Replying to a question on madrassas in Pakistan, believed to be breeding ground of fundamentalists, he said "President (Pervez) Musharraf has been working to reform the education system in Pakistan, which includes the curriculum at madrassas, and that's an ongoing effort."