Islamabad: In what is seen as a significant shift in its stand, Pakistan today said it never claimed Jammu and Kashmir to be its integral part and that the dispute is about 'aspirations' of Kashmiris.

"First of all Pakistan does not claim Kashmir. Kashmir dispute is about aspirations of Kashmiris," foreign office spokesperson Tasnim (rpt Tasnim) Aslam told a media briefing here.

"Pakistan never claimed Kashmir to be integral part of Pakistan. What we said is Kashmiris should be able to decide their future. We hope they would opt for Pakistan. This is what they have been saying," she said.

Her remarks drew angry reactions from presspersons who persistently asked on what basis Pakistan could say it has no claim over Kashmir and what happened to slogans like 'Kashmir banega Pakistan (Kashmir will be part of Pakistan)'.

Clarifying that President Pervez Musharraf, in his interview to NDTV, has not stated Pakistan would give up its stand on Kashmir unilaterally, Aslam said as per UN Security Council resolutions "Pakistan and India are parties to this dispute and Kashmiris have essential say to decide their future".

Aslam denied there was any shift in Pakistan's stand, saying even the country's successive constitutions since independence never claimed Kashmir as part of Pakistan.

"This was the reason why Pakistan-held Kashmir has a President and Prime Minister, had it been part of Pakistan it should have had a Chief Minister and a Governor," she said.