Karachi: Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz yesterday (Dec 29,2006) said a resolution of the Kashmir issue was needed to ensure long-lasting peace in the region.

The issue must be resolved in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people, he said at a meeting with Premier of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir Sardar Attique Ahmad Khan.

Aziz said the just settlement of Kashmir issue will not only enable Pakistan and India to leverage their full economic potential, but also help in bringing about a qualitative improvement in the lives of their peoples, according to an official statement here.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over normalcy gradually returning to the earthquake-affected areas of PoK and said the government was focusing on programmes to enable the people earn their livelihood on permanent basis in a respectable manner.

"Reconstruction was a major challenge and the results achieved with the help of donors, NGO's and government agencies were encouraging," he said.