Islamabad, June 17: Ruling out chances of accepting the Line of Control as international border in a compromise deal to resolve the Kashmir issue, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said that his country would talk on all issues with India but was not ready to sideline this "core issue". "LoC is the problem and can not be a solution," he told media persons here late last night before leaving for Britain on a four-nation tour. He would later go to the US, Germany and France.
Earlier, Musharraf, in an interview to a private channel, said Pakistan was willing to talk with India on all issues but at the same time would not sideline Kashmir.
"There is no doubt that Kashmir is still the core issue between India and Pakistan," he said, but stressed Pakistan and India could make significant headway in their talks to resolve all bilateral issues including the vexed Kashmir issue.
Expressing satisfaction over some "positive statements" made by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on the desire to resolve the Kashmir issue, Musharraf said his visit to US was not linked to the Indian leader's recent trip to the country.
He said during his visit to United States, both sides will hold talks on bilateral matters and regional situation including Kashmir, Afghanistan and Middle East.
Saying that Pakistan had been asked to send its troops for deployment in Iraq, the President said so far no final decision had been taken on the issue.
Bureau Report