Foreign Office (FO) Spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri on Wednesday briefed the members of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir that there is no change whatsoever in Pakistan’s policy on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

The briefing was prompted by a proposal brought by PML-N lawmaker Khurram Dastgir who sought an explanation of the Prime Minister’s remarks in Kotli, AJK on Feb 5.

The Prime Minister in his address had said, “When the residents of Indian-occupied Kashmir as well as Azad Kashmir get the right to decide their future, and when the people of Kashmir will choose Pakistan InshAllah, then Pakistan will give Kashmiris the right to decide whether they want to become a part of Pakistan or remain independent.”

The FO spokesman while responding said that the premier's statement is consistent with Pakistan's longstanding policy on the dispute.

“Pakistan’s position is anchored on the United Nations (UN) resolutions on the Kashmir dispute. There is absolutely no change in Pakistan’s stance on resolving the Kashmir dispute through dialogue and under the UN resolutions,” the spokesman said.

Questions started circulating regarding a change in Pakistan's policy towards the Kashmir dispute as a consensus was reached between the Director Generals of Military Operations of Pakistan and India to implement the 2003 ceasefire pact.

However, the FO rubbished these speculations saying that the recent understanding between the Pakistani and Indian military to observe the 2003 Line of Control (LoC) Agreement was aimed at saving lives and properties of the Kashmiri people living on both sides of the LoC.