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Sartaj says Pakistan wants result oriented dialogue with India but not minus Kashmir
INPISLAMABAD - Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has said that Pakistan wants meaningful and result-oriented dialogue with India for resolution of all outstanding issues. Sartaj told the National Assembly during question hour on Wednesday that onus of resuming the dialogue lies with the India as it had suspended the Foreign Secretaries’ level dialogue on a flimsy excuse of our high commissioner’s meeting with the Kashmir leaders in New Delhi. He, however, made it clear that dialogue process minus Kashmir issue would be futile and not acceptable to Pakistan. He said that there are reports that US President Barack Obama during his visit to India tried to persuade New Delhi to resume dialogue with Islamabad. However, we have not yet received any indication from the other side in this regard. He said that absence of dialogue, hostile statement, negative propaganda and tensions on the Line of Control and working boundary are indicative of Indian intransigence and reluctance to resume the dialogue. He said that Pakistan is working with other countries to impress upon India the necessity of uninterrupted dialogue for the regional peace, stability and development. He said that Pakistan on its part is striving to reduce tension with India on the border. About ties with Afghanistan, he said that the relations are on upward trajectory. A new phase has commenced in Pakistan-Afghan relations as a result of our intensified engagements with the new Afghan leadership. The National Assembly was also told that a Textile Policy has been formulated to enhance exports of value added products of the textiles. Minister for Textile Industry Abbas Khan Afridi said that the Economic Coordination Committee is likely to approve the policy on the 9th of this month. He said that exports of value added products have witnessed a growth during the era of present government. He told the House that a new Vocational Training Programme will be launched to train one hundred and twenty thousand youth for skills required in the value added sector such as garments. To a supplementary question, the minister said that it is our utmost effort to ensure zero load-shedding to the textile sector in coming days. The minister said that a textile city is being developed at Port Qasim. The establishment of small and big industries in this textile city will help generate many job opportunities. To a question, Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan told the House that Pakistan and China are holding negotiations for the second Free Trade Agreement in order to address the issue of imbalance in trade. He pointed out that the first FTA, operational since 2006, entails many shortcomings which will be removed in the new agreement. He hoped the new agreement will help enhance Pakistan’s exports to the neighbouring country. Dastgir said that Pakistan’s exports to the EU increased by 20.36 per cent as a result of GSP Plus status last year.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk