Pakistan said on Monday it was ready to hold talks with India without any preconditions.

Foreign ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan told a news conference that Pakistan welcomed statements by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee last week suggesting outstanding issues should be resolved through talks.

"We hope that immediate steps will be taken so that the dialogue process can start," Khan said. "Dialogue can start only when there are no preconditions attached to it."

Vajpayee said in Srinagar he wanted talks to begin as soon as possible, but Islamabad should first give up 'cross border infiltration'.

Khan said Pakistan had always maintained that nothing of 'this sort' was happening but if New Delhi wanted it could agree to neutral observers to check whether any infiltration was taking place across the Line of Control.

Khan said Pakistan was ready for talks at any level and anywhere. "India will not find us wanting... it can start tomorrow, it can be in Islamabad, it can be in Delhi."

Pakistan's Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri both welcomed Vajpayee's statement over the weekend.