Musharraf repeats Kashmir call

Pakistan's President, General Pervez Musharraf, has repeated his call for a dialogue with India to reduce tension between the two countries.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Islamabad with the Thai Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, General Musharraf said he briefed Mr Shinawatra about various measures taken by Pakistan to defuse the tension.

He said he expected India to respond by starting a dialogue on Kashmir.

When asked about the cabinet reshuffle in India, the General said that no matter who leads India, what's required is a realistic dialogue.

Earlier, Pakistan and Thailand signed an agreement to cooperate in the field of tourism.

President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shinawatra also discussed bilateral trade, the reconstruction of Afghanistan and other regional issues.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service