'Pak. ready to face any aggression'

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, OCT. 11. Pakistan today said that while it desired settlement of all outstanding issues with India through peaceful means, it was prepared to face any aggression and has the capability to repulse it.

A Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman told correspondents to a question on a reported statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, that if the U.S. did not pay heed to terrorism in Kashmir, India would be forced to take action by itself.

``Pakistan desires settlement of all issues with India through peaceful means. At the same time Pakistan is ready, as was stated also by the President the other day at his press conference, to face any aggression and we have the capability to repulse that,'' he said. To another question on reports that the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, had declined a visit to Pakistan, he said the Minister had been invited to visit the country. ``The dates have not yet been finalised. I have not seen any statement whereby he has refused the invitation of visiting Pakistan,'' he said.

The briefing was held before the press conference addressed by Mr. Singh in New Delhi. The spokesman said the comment of his counterpart only meant that in the near future there was no planned visit of Mr. Singh.

On Pakistan's stance on resolution of the Kashmir issue, he said it would like to resolve all outstanding disputes with India, including Jammu and Kashmir, through peaceful means.

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