WITH four painstaking rounds of composite dialogue behind Pakistani and Indian negotiators, there is little that they could tell the world about the headway they have made on the Kashmir dispute that indisputably lies at the root of all those hostilities, tensions and misunderstandings, which have plagued their relations over the years. All that we know is that they 'agreed to continue discussion on Jammu and Kashmir, build on convergences and narrow down divergences' when their Foreign Ministers and Foreign Secretaries met at Islamabad on May-20-21. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had to admit that there had been no significant forward movement on Kashmir, which, he added, "has to be meaningfully addressed". He talked of 'grand reconciliation' and 'innovative ideas' in the context of the resolution of disputes and his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee responded, "I'm going back with a sense of satisfaction." One would have wished Mr Qureshi had elaborated the terms he used to set any doubt about their interpretation at rest. That might also have provided a clue to Mr Mukherjee's satisfaction. However, a most important point that these interlocutors must keep in mind is that any solution that tends to bypass the wishes of the people of Kashmir will neither be acceptable nor can it usher in an era of durable peace in the Subcontinent, peace that is devoid of the feelings of rancour and misgivings. Neither country has any right to impose a solution of its choice that misses the fundamental point of the right of people to decide their future. It is unfortunate that, faced with India's intransigence, Pakistani leaders have been falling into its trap and introducing CBMs on the premise that they would somehow lead to resolving Kashmir and other disputes. Once the cause of enmity is removed, confidence between the two nations would automatically arise. It is hoped that India would drop delaying tactics and hold fruitful negotiations on this core issue during the fifth round due to start in New Delhi next July. Just signing an agreement on consular access to prisoners hardly befits the reputation of diplomatic skills of the two sides' negotiators, while other lesser irritants than Kashmir - Sir Creek and Siachen, for instance - also remain unsettled. There is an urgent need for a serious rethinking of the approach to improving Indo-Pakistan relations. Composite dialogue pursued with the present reservations hardly bids any welcome change.