``The Ministry of External Affairs has today informed the High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi that the date is not convenient and we will revert shortly to the Government of Pakistan with alternative dates,'' a ministry spokesman said.

Highly placed sources in the government pointed out, however, that ``Aziz would come here sooner or later, but in consonance with our national interest.'' New Delhi is now expected to offer fresh dates, for probably later next week, just before External Affairs minister Jaswant Singh leaves for a visit to Beijing in the middle of the month.

There appears to exist a deliberate element of gamesmanship in this bilateral dialogue over dates, and New Delhi is willing to let India refuses... Islamabad sweat it out a little before receiving Aziz here.

Highly placed sourcesin the ministry said the Pakistanis seemed ``so keen that the visit take place'' that they even asked the Americans to put in a request on their behalf with New Delhi.

The spokesman, in fact, indicated today that stalling tactics were at work. ``We cannot put a specific time-frame on the visit. It is important to match the calendars and conveniences of the leaders on both sides,'' he added.On its part, however, the government also wants to appear ``reasonable'' and not reject the attempt at dialogue with Islamabad. But it is also seeking to send the message that it will do so on its own terms.

``The script that Islamabad is attempting to unilaterally write is a dubious one and will not wash,'' the sources said. They explained that New Delhi took ``very seriously'' the attempt to alter the Line of Control and internationalise the Kashmir situation.

The ministry spokesman also pointed to the often contradictory statments emerging from the Pakistani leadership. These, he said, contained an ``element ofsophistry, but only detracted from the real issue, which is that an intrusion has taken place.''

Aziz has over the last few days, first disputed the veracity of the sanctity of the Line of Control, then gone on to accuse India of violating it. Another time he said it was up to India to deal with those who had crossed over into Indian territory. Elsewhere Information minister Mushahid Hussain has denied that these infiltrators were ``Pakistanis,'' insisting they were only ``freedom-fighters,'' who lived on the Kargil heights.

Meanwhile, according to a PTI report from Islamabad, an official in charge of Pakistan affairs from the ministry of external affairs, visited Islamabad on a ``secret mission'' to talk to the Pakistani authorities, a day after the telephonic conversation between Prime Ministers Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif on May 28.

The mission, however, failed because a day after the official's return on June 1, the Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman Tariq Altaf accused India of delaying the visit ofAziz.