Pakistan to raise Kashmir issue with India: Gilani

Gilani was responding to a question about criticism from opposition parties that his government was afraid to raise the Kashmir issue with India.

He said the 8220;core issues for Pakistan are Kashmir and the sharing of river waters8221; and these would be taken up when Pakistan8217;s Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister meet their Indian counterparts on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 26 and 27 respectively.

Gilani said he and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh had agreed on these meetings during their talks at Sharm el-Sheikh in July. Pakistan is 8220;hoping for progress in these meetings8221;,he added.

The premier said he had made a 8220;forceful statement8221; when he recently took the Kashmiri leadership into confidence on talks with India and there should be no cause for apprehension over Pakistans stand on the Kashmir issue.