Monday, June 19 2006 18:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Karachi: Pakistan has expressed disappointment over the failure to reach a breakthrough in the recent round of talks with India on pulling out troops from Siachen, but said it was committed to a concrete settlement of the issue through dialogue.

"We are a little disappointed over non-advancement on Siachen issue. However, we are still committed to the dialogue for concrete settlement of the issue," Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told a meeting organised by the South Asian Free Media Association here yesterday.

Asked about reports suggesting that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may not visit Pakistan this summer, Aziz said he was welcome and expressed the hope that Singh would make the trip whenever it was convenient for him.

Pointing out that Kashmir issue was at the heart of Pakistan's relations with India, he said, "It is now essential that we must engage in a substantive and result-oriented dialogue to resolve Kashmir dispute and move beyond restating our known positions."

"We believe that a just and durable settlement of this core issue can only be based on the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people," he said.

"We also recognise that such a solution must be acceptable to both Pakistan and India. To achieve this objective all three parties must demonstrate commitment, flexibility, magnanimity and leadership," he said.

Asked whether Islamabad was disappointed by the Indian response to its proposals of demilitarisation and self- governance in Kashmir, Aziz said Pakistan expected the Indian side to respond in order to carry the discussions forward.