Two days after he announced a troop-cut in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said India had ‘‘taken some risk, not unacceptable risks’’ and was working with Pakistan towards achieving ‘‘credible and mutually acceptable’’ solution to all outstanding issues, including Kashmir. ‘‘There is no scope for third party intervention in Jammu and Kashmir,’’ he told reporters after launching the National Food for Work Programme in Aloor village in Andhra Pradesh’s Ranga Reddy district. ‘‘The composite dialogue is making some progress.’’ He said there were enough reasons to reduce the number of troops in J&K: ‘‘The major reason is the reduction in infiltration largely due to the efforts of the security forces. The troop reduction is an experiment that we are trying. We have taken some risk. But they are not unacceptable risks.’’ On his proposed visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said, ‘‘We want to reach out to the hearts and minds of the Kashmiri people. They have suffered a great deal. We want to put this chapter of violence behind us. This is my oath and thrust.’’ In Islamabad, Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said he will discuss all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, with Manmohan Singh during his visit to New Delhi next week. Aziz is to leave for India on November 23 as chairman of the SAARC. ‘‘I am anxiously waiting to travel to India and other SAARC countries. I will discuss Kashmir and other issues with Manmohan Singh.’’ Aziz was quoted by state-run news agency APP as saying that Pakistan and India ‘‘are seriously engaged in the process of confidence-building measures to resolve all disputes and to find a durable solution’’ to the Kashmir issue. Aziz said Pakistan believes the issue ‘‘should be resolved through peaceful means according to the aspirations of Kashmiris.’’ Earlier, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khursid Mehmood Kasuri said that they expected India to come with an open mind and look for a solution which history will remember as a turning-point. ‘‘We expect this will happen. We have worked so hard in the last year that both countries should ensure we don’t go into the reverse gear in any case now.’’ Displaying seriousness about the Musharraf proposals, he said ‘‘when Pakistan can talk about this proposal publicly then it can definitely talk about it privately too.’’ Asked whether it meant Pakistan is ready for joint control in certain areas, Kasuri said: ‘‘It will be improper for me to comment at this stage because if I do it, it will be attacked immediately. I don’t want to make that mistake as I have worked hard on this peace process.’’ ‘‘But I can certainly tell you if President Musharraf has made the proposal he must have done it thoughtfully. And it is also obvious if the President is saying this publicly, we will not talk differently in private.’’ Kasuri admitted that India and Pakistan were holding secret talks on Kashmir and they have been making progress. ‘‘The good thing is that these talks are not open for journalists and photographers. We do not want people with vested interests to interrupt the process. There are too many vested interests on both sides.’’ He said India’s NSA J N Dixit and Pakistan’s National Security Council’s secretary Tariq Aziz were holding these talks. Welcoming India’s decision to reduce troop deployment in Kashmir, he said: ‘‘The Indian Prime Minister has himself said that infiltration across the LoC has come down and that’s why they are reducing troops. This means he has the confidence that it is almost negligible.’’
