No aggressive designs, India assures Pak

Confirming the meeting, an external affairs ministry spokesman said it was held at the initiative of the Pakistan foreign secretary.

He said, 8220;we once again call upon Pakistan to look to the future, to the welfare of our peoples, and for this purpose, give up the path of violence and senseless violence8221;.

The spokesman said India had always sought to establish a relationship of peace, friendship and cooperation with Pakistan. The India-Pakistan composite dialogue process was put in place in 1998 at India8217;s initiative, he said.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited lahore in Februarylast year to reinforce India8217;s message of goodwill for Pakistan.

The spokesman said Pakistan8217;s kargil misadventure constituted notonly a violation of the line of control, but a transgression of the territory of trust.

The cessation of Pakistan8217;s cross-border terrorism and theabandonment of its vicious propaganda are essentials ngredients for any meaningful dialogue. 8221;we once again call upon Pakistan to look to the future, to the welfare of our peoples, and for this purpose, give up the path of conflict and senseless violence,8221; he added.

India has no aggressive designs on Pakistan. Vajpayee had made this clear when on March 21 he said 8220;we do not think in terms of war, and nobody should think in those terms in this sub-continent.8221;

Pakistan intensified sponsored cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesman said. 8220;We will continue to scrupulously maintain our policy of restraint. We will effectively respond, as we have demonstrated in the past, to any threat to our territorial integrity.8221;

Meanwhile in Islamabad, it was their very own Bus to Pakistan8217; for 40 women from India bearing the message of peace and goodwill and the first Indian delegation to call on military ruler General Pervez Musharraf.

Led by Nirmala Deshpande, the delegation took the bus diplomacy a step further during its week8217;s stay in Pakistan by having genuine people-to-people contact, the high point of which was participation in a seminar, Women8217;s view of the sub-continent8217; at Lahore.

Deshpande, whose Women8217;s Initiative for Peace in South-Asia8217; organised the Lahore bus trip, told PTI before leaving for New Delhi today that her message to both India and Pakistan was: 8220;Peace, friendship, togetherness. Let us do everything together, work together for the betterment of the people of both countries, especially the poor and the downtrodden.quot;

On the delegation8217;s impression of their visit to Pakistan, she said, quot;it is very, very positive. We have been received with such warmth, affection and friendship, it was much more than our expectations.quot;

About their welcome by Gen Musharraf in Islamabad on March 26, a day after they arrived in Lahore, Deshpande said, quot;When we told him we were for peace, he replied I8217;m with you.quot;

Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar hosted a lunch in their honour the same afternoon.

Deshpande, however, had one regret. 8220;Our programme was so packed, so fruitful, we had hardly time to go anywhere.quot;