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Monday, February 08, 2010
All issues to be discussed with India: Qureshi
* FM says govt will not give in to any pressure, protect country’s interests
* FO spokesman says agenda for talks not finalised yetMULTAN: Pakistan will discuss all issues with India at the upcoming talks between the foreign secretaries of the two countries in New Delhi, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Sunday.
Addressing journalists in Seetal Mari on the outskirts of Multan after a public meeting and the inauguration of development projects likely to cost Rs 95 million, the foreign minister said Pakistan would raise its own problems and “India would present their issues during the dialogue”.
About Indian accusations of cross-border infiltration, Qureshi said all issues would be discussed “on the table” rather than through the media.
Addressing the gathering in Seetal Mari earlier, he said Pakistan’s case was “strong ... be it Kashmir, water distribution or terrorism ... that is why India failed to isolate Pakistan”. He said the government would not give in to any sort of pressure, and protect the country’s interests.
According to a private TV channel, Qureshi said Pakistan would not bow down to Indian agenda. The minister said the government was determined to crush terrorism. He also praised the armed forces for successful operations against terrorists, and said a recent international conference in London had acknowledged Pakistan’s role in the war on terror. He said no harm would be done to democracy in the country, and the PP-led government would complete its constitutional tenure.
Separately in an interview with a private TV channel, Qureshi said he had no knowledge of a proposal by the previous regime to resolve the Kashmir dispute. Former foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri recently claimed that India and Pakistan had almost reached a solution and only the announcement remained.
Qureshi said the proposal was “a secret” between “selected individuals”, and there was no record on the matter in the Foreign Office. According to the minister, while there would be progress towards the settlement of the Kashmir dispute, it could not be said if the matter would get resolved during the tenure of the current government.
No agenda yet: Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said no agenda had been finalised for the foreign secretary-level talks. He said reports by the Indian media on the agenda for the talks were baseless, reported a private TV channel.
According to the channel, the Indian media claimed that both sides had agreed on a schedule for the foreign secretaries’ meetings on February 18 and 25. But Foreign Office sources said the dates had not been finalised yet. app/daily times monitor
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk