Musharraf leaves for Manila after three-day visit to India

New Delhi, Apr 18 (UNI) Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today left for Manila, after a three-day visit to India during which the South Asian neighbours pledged to resolve all their differences in a peaceful manner.

The General's three-day trip, his first after the failed Agra summit of 2001, became part of a process, rather than an event, as the two countries recognised Kashmir as a ''complicated issue that might take time to resolve''.

President Musharraf arrived at the Air Force Station in a motorcade and flew to Manila as he wrapped up his historic visit transforming cricket diplomacy into a virtual summit.

In a joint statement issued at the end of his visit, the two countries asserted that the peace process is irreversible and terrorism will not be allowed to impede it.

India and Pakistan decided to start bus services between Amritsar and Lahore and religious places like Nankana Sahib soon and open their consulates in Mumbai and Karachi by the end of this year.

The two countries said they would instruct their authorities to resume immediately the traditional institutional mechanism to resolve the Siachen and Sir Creek issues.

According to the joint statement, read out by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh standing alongside the Pakistan President, the two countries would allow plying of trucks across the Line of Control (LOC) to boost trade and commercial ties.

Earlier, in a breakfast interaction with senior editors here, the President acknowledged that no ''rigid time-frame'' could be set for the resolution of the Kashmir ''dispute'' as he insisted that it must be resolved within a ''reasonable time''.

Solution to the Kashmir issue has to be found out for a lasting peace with India, he said.

He also dismissed the Indian stand that there can be no redrawing of borders and made it clear that the Line of Control cannot be the final solution.

President Musharraf said military option was not an option anymore.

The President met former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his way to the airport.

The General and Dr Singh started the day yesterday by watching the first hour of the cricket match between their national teams.

His Indian visit followed the launch of the Srinagar-Muzzafarabad bus service, the first ever between PoK and Kashmir.