Wednesday, September 21 2005 14:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New York: 'Rigidity and coercion must give way' and India and Pakistan should show 'flexibility' to find a durable and peaceful solution to the Kashmir problem, Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri has said.

Asserting in 'unequivocal terms' that Jammu and Kashmir is the 'core' issue between the two countries, he told the Organization of Islamic Conference's contact group here that the problem cannot be sidelined or put on the backburner if peace is to be achieved in the subcontinent.

He said that Pakistan had always stressed on the necessity of a 'meaningful, constructive and result oriented dialogue' for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue.

"We have repeatedly urged that rigidity and coercion must give way to accommodation and flexibility if indeed, we are to find a durable and peaceful solution to the problem," he said.

"History has taught us that durable peace can only be achieved by resolving the Jammu and Kashmir dispute which has been the root cause of tensions between the two countries," he added.

"It is for this reason that Pakistan, despite international legitimacy being on its side, has proposed that this objective be achieved bilaterally by finding a peaceful solution which meets the aspiration of Kashmiri people and at the same time is acceptable to both Pakistan and India," he said.