145;Without Kashmir, talks would be hit146;

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today expressed satisfaction over the ongoing Indo-Pak dialogue but said the process would suffer if the...

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today expressed satisfaction over the ongoing Indo-Pak dialogue but said the process would suffer if there was no progress on the Kashmir issue.

Musharraf also said the progress made so far should pave the way for more positive results. Apprising Republican Senators Don Nickles and Jeff Sessions, Musharraf expressed satisfaction over the progress made so far, an official statement said. He told the US senators that the progress made so far should pave the way for more positive results but the process would suffer if there was no progress on the Kashmir issue, the statement added.

Musharraf also exchanged views with the senators on the US assistance package going into effect from October 2004, to meet some of Pakistan8217;s pressing defence needs and provide additional resources for the government8217;s plans to alleviate poverty and improve social services, it said. The ongoing Pakistan military operations to flush out Al Qaeda militants holed up in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan also came up for discussion.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said Pakistan had not given any 8216;8216;tacit approval8217;8217; to India for fencing the Line of Control. Speaking to BBC Radio on Friday, he stated that it was in violation of the Simla and Karachi agreements. 8216;8216;Neither there is any silent consent nor any open one. Rather we have protested against it,8217;8217; Khan said.

8216;8216;The fencing is a violation of Karachi Agreement of 1949 under which India and Pakistan determined the ceasefire line, which specified that no kind of activity and alteration would be carried out around the ceasefire line,8217;8217; Khan said. 8216;8216;In the Simla Agreement too the two sides agreed not to alter the LoC. Therefore, we believe that erection of this fence is not correct,8217;8217; he added.

Also on Friday, Pakistan Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has said his government will continue to extend 8216;8216;moral, political and diplomatic8217;8217; support to Kashmiri people to enable them achieve the right to 8216;8216;self-determination8217;8217;. He promised to extend the 8216;8216;moral support8217;8217; during separate meetings with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir President Muhammad Anwar Khan and PM Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan, reports said.