'Soft borders' in Kashmir positive step, not a solution

"Soft borders are not a solution," Musharraf was quoted as telling Britain's Financial Times. "Many magazines and articles I read from the Indian side, some of them misrepresent this soft as meaning a solution."

"I don't see this as a solution at all. This may be a step towards confidence building, which could facilitate a solution," he said.

Nuclear rivals India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 over the disputed Himalayan territory.

Amid ongoing peace talks, both countries in April resumed bus services across the de facto border, the Line of Control.

Musharraf at the time said the opening of the bus route represented a step toward a "soft border" in Kashmir, picking up a phrase previously used by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.