Pakistan Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed said it was ``very appropriate'' on the part of the NAM chairman to highlight the importance of the resolution of the Kashmir issue which had remained the bone of contention between the two neighbours for the past five decades.

Ahmed said the South African President's concern on the Kashmir issue is expression of his popular support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ahmed said Pakistan remained committed to finding a just and expeditious settlement of this issue as well as others ``we have with India.''

He expressed confidence that India and Pakistan would be able to sort out differences on this issue through peaceful means.

The Foreign Secretary said he had been talking with hisIndian counterpart K Raghunath here on the question of opertionalising the process of dialogue.

He held a series of dialogues with Raghunath and admitted that the two countries had succeeded in narrowing down differences.

On the hindrance in resumption of the stalled official level talks, the Pakistan Foreign Secretary said, ``The mechanism has to be agreed only on operationalising the talks.''