Pak waiting for Indian response on LoC

Pakistan said on Monday that it was awaiting response of the Indian government on its proposal to open the Line of Control on five points.

"We are awaiting Indian response. We are ready to discuss the modalities as soon as possible," foreign office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam told newspersons in Islamabad.

Aslam said Pakistan had already invited an Indian official delegation to Islamabad on this issue. "It is our hope that we will be able to implement this (proposal) within this month," she added.

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"We have proposed points for Kashmiri people to travel, meet each other and help," she said, adding Pakistan would respond to the Indian proposal later on Monday.

Responding to a question, the spokesperson said New Delhi's proposal of setting up of medical facilities at three points along the LoC was independent of Pakistan's proposal.

President General Pervez Musharraf had proposed, on October 18, the opening of the LoC to enable people from Indian-administered Kashmir to meet and help their near and dear ones in the quake- affected Pakistani part of Kashmir.

The spokesperson, however, rejected as baseless, reports in the Indian media claiming 'slow response' of Pakistan army in the first two days because it was 'busy mobilising troops along LoC'.

"We dismiss these reports as baseless and malicious," she said.