Monday, September 5 2005 20:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Under attack by Islamic hardliners for holding talks with Israel, Pakistan today (Sept 5, 2005) said it was aimed at getting involved in the Middle East peace process and help the Palestinians.

"The decision (to hold talks with Israel) is Pakistan's own. We feel that what we have done will help the Palestinians. This is our assessment," Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, who last week publicly met his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom in Turkey, said in an interview with state-run PTV.

The meeting has come under sharp criticism by Islamic fundamentalists in Pakistan who have asked the Government to desist from having any relation with the Jewish State.

"The main reason driving us is that we feel we ought to play a role in the peace process between Palestine and Israel and you cannot play any role whatsoever if you are not even prepared to talk to one party," Kasuri said.

He said, "Pakistan felt that unless it is prepared to engage with the other party, this little role we could not play."

When Palestinian Authority President Mahmood Abbas visited Pakistan, he asked President Pervez Musharraf to use his 'good offices' in view of the goodwill that he enjoyed internationally to plead the Palestinian cause, Kasuri said.

The Foreign Minister said before Pakistan decided to go ahead with the meeting, Musharraf spoke to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia as well as Abbas. "Certain other friendly countries were informed at the Foreign Secretaries level," he added.