Kashmir solution can be ideal donation

Making India-Pakistan ties an important component of his keynote address to the international donors' meet here to mobilise funds for reconstruction of quake-hit areas of Pakistan and PoK, Musharraf turned to Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahmad, representing India at the conference, and made an emotional appeal for peace between the two countries.

"Knowing very well an Indian delegate is sitting here.... The earthquake has created a unique feeling of togetherness, of an urge to help each other within people of Kashmir on both sides of LoC and more than that within the people of India and Pakistan.

Their urge to help each other on a country basis.

"Therefore, I sincerely and genuinely believe that the challenge of this earthquake can be converted into an opportunity of lifetime which was never available to India and Pakistan to improve relations," Musharraf said.

"(I) take this opportunity and forum to appeal to the President and Prime Minister of India, to the government of India, to entire opposition in India, to the people of India at large and business community of India and more than anybody else I appeal to the media in India and also Pakistan, the government of Indian-held Kashmir, APHC (Hurriyat Conference) and other Kashmiri groups, let us together solve the Kashmir dispute once for all," he said.

Musharraf said that "fleeting opportunities do not come everyday. If leaders fail to grasp fleeting opportunities, they fail their nations and fail their people."