New Delhi:
India and Pakistan's near resolution of the Kashmir dispute had the backing of Pakistan's present Army Chief General Kayani. This was the dramatic revelation made by Pakistan's former foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri.
Speaking to NDTV in New Delhi, Mr. Kasuri said both governments had almost signed off on a draft agreement on Kashmir. This agreement included self-governance on both sides of the Line of Control and a joint mechanism to oversee governance.
General Kiyani, who was then the Chief of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) was actively involved in the back channel talks, said Kasuri.
In the back-channel talks between October 2006 and March 2007, the Indian side was represented by the then External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, then Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon who is now the National Security Adviser(NSA), PM's special envoy to Pakistan Satinder Lambah and the then NSA MK Narayanan.
On the Pakistani side, there was President Pervez Musharraf, Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammed Khan, Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri and the then ISI Chief, and present Army Chief, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.