ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said he expected to discuss with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a "way forward" towards the resolution of Kashmir.

The two leaders are scheduled to meet on September 14 on the sidelines of the 60th session of United Nations General Assembly.

Talking to mediapersons on Sunday before leaving for New York, Gen. Musharraf said, "I have to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. I want to promote the cause of peace and resolution of disputes, especially the Kashmir dispute. When we talk about dispute, the basic focus ought to be on Kashmir."

He said, "I have no doubt in my mind [that] with other issues [we] do make progress at [the] Secretary or Minister level, but when two leaders meet they ought to discuss issues that cannot make progress at [a] lower level."

During talks with United States President George W. Bush, he would discuss the "resolution of the Palestinian and Kashmir disputes." He would also discuss regional and international issues, including terrorism, Afghanistan and West Asia.

Besides his meetings with Dr. Singh and Mr. Bush,Gen. Musharraf is scheduled to address the American Jewish Congress on promotion of inter-faith harmony. He would be the first Pakistani leader to address such a gathering.

Israel angle

Much political importance has been attached to his decision to accept the invitation from the Jewish Congress, especially in the context of the recent contact between Pakistan and Israel at the Foreign Minister-level. Most observers saw the development as a first step by Islamabad towards the establishment of diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.

Gen. Musharraf said his address would lend strength "to the cause of establishment of an independent Palestinian state."

Mindful of the domestic criticism on embracing Israel, especially from the religious parties, Pakistan said it chose to establish contact with Tel Aviv only to give a fillip to the West Asia peace process and that it would wait for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state before establishing diplomatic ties.

"Many facets"

Gen. Musharraf said his visit to New York had many "facets and many angles" other than addressing the United Nations General Assembly. He would address a conference on gender issues where he planned to nullify the "negative impressions" generated by the rapes of Muktharan Mai and Shazia.

Ms. Mai was gangraped following the orders of a village council as punishment for the alleged affair between her brother and a woman from another tribe. Dr. Shazia was allegedly raped at a hospital in Sui, Balochistan. Both cases generated adverse publicity for Pakistan.

"Bid to tarnish country's image"

Gen. Musharraf criticised Dr. Shazia for unfairly targeting the State and maintained that vested interests were tarnishing the image of the country.

Gen. Musharraf would also visit the CENTCOM headquarters of the U.S. Army at Florida.His entourage, seen off by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and other senior civil and military officials, includes Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and Adviser for Women Development Nilofar Bakhtiar.

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