India and Pakistan exchanged 'some proposals' on the first day of their official level talks in Islamabad on Monday.

"The talks will continue tomorrow," Pakistan's foreign office spokesman Masood Khan said.

The parleys, he added, were held in a 'cordial atmosphere and constructive manner'. "Both sides expressed satisfaction after the first day's talks," he said.

Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, Arun Singh, is heading the Indian delegation. Jalil Abbas Jilani, director, foreign office, is heading the Pakistani team.

Foreign Secretary Shashank will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Khokar on February 18.

Refusing to give details of the discussion, Khan said the talks included the agenda, structure, ambit and timeframe for the composite dialogue process that began today.

He said the talks were continuing and all aspects would be clear when the two foreign secretaries, who are scheduled to meet on Wednesday, would reach some conclusion.

When asked whether Kashmir was a part of the discussion, he said, "Kashmir, of course, remains part of the dialogue."

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Asked whether the discussion would also include fencing at the Line of Control by India, Khan said, "Well, I will not again go into details but all concerns of the two countries will be exchanged and addressed."

The spokesman said all issues would be discussed at the composite dialogue and both sides would try to implement the decisions simultaneously.

Khan said Pakistan wanted to find a peaceful resolution to Kashmir issue.

Alleging 'repression and human rights violations' in Jammu and Kashmir, he said Pakistan wanted to see an end to this.

He said the international community was supportive of the peace moves between India and Pakistan, which has been made possible because of the statesmanship of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Admitting that India and Pakistan had unsuccessful discussion in the past, he said, "The present round has been facilitated by the decision taken by the two leaders at their dialogue."

About a possible 'better nuclear environment' between the two countries, Khan said, "...as the talks progressed, a restraint regime between the two sides can also be discussed."

Referring to the meeting between Vajpayee and Musharraf, Khan said the two leaders had given a 'general political direction' for structuring and time framing of the dialogue.

Noting that Vajpayee and Musharraf have created a salutary environment for talks, the spokesman said their meeting has lent a 'new momentum', which needs to be 'maintained'.

"The dialogue process should be substantive, structured and sustainable," he said.

To a question, Khan said the Indian delegation was 'constructive' and did not have 'blocked minds' during the talks.

Asked whether the Indian side had demanded dismantling of communication link of jihadis, he said nothing of that sort was raised at the talks.The issues to be resolved had been identified earlier also in 1997, 1998, the Lahore Summit in 1999 and Agra Summit in 2001, he said.

"The reason for the current exercise is to structure the dialogue process," Khan said and added that the latest parleys were resumption of talks suspended two and a half years ago.