REPORTS suggest that Pakistan intends focusing on persuading India to hold meaningful talks on the Kashmir issue when the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries meet at Islamabad today in the context of the slow-moving composite dialogue process. But New Delhi, though keen to pay lip service to the need for its resolution, would be looking for ways to evade the pressure and concentrate on matters of peripheral nature or those that could serve its interests. Pakistan has known, to its dismay, that since the peace process began in January 2004 that has been the Indian policy. As a result, none of the contentious issues listed under the composite dialogue process has made any decisive headway. This time, the changed political climate of Pakistan, analysts have pointed out, would provide External Affairs Minister Mukherjee and other members of his delegation with a measure of justification for sounding out the views of the new leadership on the core issue and also whether the change of guard at Islamabad has really meant a change of decision makers. That ploy must be foiled with a forthright expression of our well-known and just stand. Pakistan must beware of the Indian strategy of asking for more and more confidence building measures and emphasising the importance of normalised relations through more frequent people-to-people contacts and greater economic cooperation before the Kashmir dispute could be heaved out of the backburner where it has, unfortunately, been allowed to remain by the previous government. Official Indian sources have indicated that New Delhi would be aiming at cashing in on Mr Asif Zardari's wish for an increased bilateral economic cooperation. While the development of greater economic and commercial interaction would no doubt be beneficial to both countries, we ought not to overlook the fact that it best flourishes in a climate of trust. Deep-seated tensions and misgivings, born of unattended disputes of crucial nature, only create impediments. Islamabad should impress upon New Delhi that the resolution of Kashmir in line with the aspirations of its people would pave the way for durable peace to take hold in the Subcontinent. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should expedite his agreed visit to Pakistan and settle it once for all. Other questions like the relaxation of visa requirements undoubtedly call for urgent attention in order to facilitate visits from either country and need to be sorted out, but they should not blind us to the bigger picture of understanding and peace dividend. Kashmir points the way.