War not a solution to India-Pakistan issues: Gilani

Pakistan would like to work with India to resolve all outstanding issues peacefully, Gilani told an Indian peace delegation led by noted journalist Kuldip Nayar Wednesday.

Gilani also appreciated the contributions of the civil society of India and Pakistan for the promotion of peace, friendship and development in the region.

"I want to benefit from the wisdom of the civil society and peace activists in pursuing cordial neighbourly ties with India," the Daily Times quoted Gilani as saying.

Gilani said his government's first priority was the well-being of the people of Pakistan for which peace and stability were vital.

So, Pakistan wished to build "friendly, cooperative and good neighbourly relations with India", he said.

Recalling his meetings with his Indian counterpart in Sharm el-Sheikh in 2009 and in Thimphu in April 2010, Gilani said he fully believed in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's sincerity for a resolution of all the disputes between the two countries through a peace process.

He urged the politicians as well as media of both countries to play a positive role in taking the peace process forward.

Gilani expressed satisfaction over the resumption of the dialogue between the two countries.

He also informed that the interior secretaries of the India and Pakistan would meet in New Delhi next week to take up terrorism, drug trafficking and humanitarian issues.

He said the Indian commerce secretary would visit Islamabad towards the end of April.

Other segments of the strategic dialogue were being scheduled to pave the way for a meeting between the two foreign secretaries, followed by a visit to New Delhi by Pakistan's foreign minister in July.

He stressed on the need for increased people to people contact, exchange of parliamentary delegations and an uninterrupted dialogue process to focus on contentious issues and to promote trade, economics, intelligence sharing, sports and cultural cooperation.