Paris, July 04: Peace talks between Pakistan and India could start soon and should not be derailed by trouble in Kashmir, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said.
"We are moving towards talks. There are overtures from both sides," Musharraf told a news channel briefing at a Paris conference on investment opportunities in Pakistan on Thursday.
Despite steps to improve ties, including plans to resume bus services between the two countries this month, violence in Kashmir goes on. On Monday militants staged a fresh bloody attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which Pakistan condemned.

"It (trouble in Kashmir) must not upset the process of peace," said Musharraf. "If there are extremists who want to derail the peace process, they should not stand in the way of two governments who want peace."
Responding to complaints from Afghan officials that Taliban officials were using Pakistan as a base, Musharraf said Pakistani troops, an intelligence capability and quick reaction anti-terrorist force were active in the border tribal area with Afghanistan.
"We have arrested some 500 al-Qaeda members and nine Taliban officials. There was a total void and vacuum on the Afghan side. It would be stupid from anyone's point of view to operate from the Pakistani side," he added.
Musharraf said that the perception Pakistan was being used as a base by the Taliban was not coming from US-led forces in Afghanistan but from other countries and from officials within the Afghan government.

Bureau Report