Pakistan's new Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar said on November 8 that his country remains ready for talks with India to ease the tension in South Asia.

Sattar, who was appointed foreign minister of the new government established after the October 12 coup, made this remark at his first press conference here.

"Pakistan remains ready to respond to the international community's call for a dialogue to address the root causes of tension between Pakistan and India, including specifically Kashmir," he said.

The foreign minister, who had served as Pakistan's high commissioner in India for six years, attributed the protracted hostility between the two South Asian neighbors to India's faults.

He said reduction of tension between the two countries is "obviously desirable" and "Pakistan wants to improve relations," but India "does not give the prospect a chance."

"Instead of resolving differences on the basis of law and justice, it seeks to exploit power disparity to impose unilateral preferences," he said, adding "attempts at domination and dictation cannot be an acceptable basis for international relations." Sattar also urged India to give the Kashmiri people "their inherent right" of self-determination. "It was pledged to them by India as well as Pakistan," he said.

Viewed as a hardliner in Islamabad, Sattar, however, denied that Pakistan's policy towards India will become stronger. He said he will act under the guidance of the objects of the current government and in the interest of the country.

He said Pakistan will continue to implement the Lahore Declaration signed by deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee in February this year, saying the new government will respect all binding agreements and international laws endorsed by all preceding governments in Pakistan.

Touching upon the forthcoming summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Sattar blamed India for being "unmindful of the injurious blow to the hopes implicit in SAARC" through "unilaterally aborting the scheduled summit."

New Delhi has quested to postpone the summit, which was scheduled to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal, from November 26 to 28.