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Pak hardliners looking forward
to Vajpayee's visit

K J M Varma in Islamabad

In a subtle change in its hardline stance against India, a six-party Islamic religious alliance in Pakistan on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's proposed visit to Islamabad to attend the SAARC summit next year.

The chief of Pakistan's hardline Jamat-e-Islami, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, told reporters that unlike last time, when his party agitated against Vajpayee's visit to Lahore in 1998, the alliance now looked forward to his trip to Pakistan.

When asked whether the alliance supported the resumption of talks between India and Pakistan, he said is is not against dialogue provided it was meaningful.

For a meaningful dialogue, India should recognise Kashmir as disputed territory, he added.

PTI

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