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India not yet ready to resume composite dialogue: Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is not happy on the fact that India has not shown its readiness to come back to the composite dialogue process.
This was stated by Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman, Abdul Basit at the weekly briefing here on Thursday.
Replying to a question the spokesman said Pakistan had presented a road-map for engagement to India and it was now for New Delhi to respond to the proposals.
He said at this point of time India wanted to engage with Pakistan only at the Foreign Secretary level as well as to discuss other issues at the working level. As against this, he said Pakistan wanted this process to go beyond that involving political leadership of the two countries as well in the dialogue.
The spokesman said India would not find Pakistan wanting if it agreed to the road-map given by Pakistan without any pre-conditions.
He said there was no point in having talks for the sake of talks and therefore, further engagements at Foreign Secretary level alone would not serve any purpose.
He said it would not be correct to describe the recently held Foreign Secretary level talks between the two countries in terms of success or failure.
He said, “India invited Pakistan and our Foreign Secretary went to New Delhi to assess whether there was any shift in Indian position with regard to whole engagement process and if there is any change then how to proceed ahead to make it meaningful”.
The Foreign Secretary clearly articulated Pakistan’s position at his meeting with his Indian counterpart, he said. He said, “we are not happy at the fact that India is not yet ready to come back to the composite dialogue process”. He said Pakistan wanted proper negotiations so that the long-standing disputes between the two countries could be resolved.
The FO spokesman said Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani will represent Pakistan at the Nuclear Security Summit to be held in Washington from 10th to 13th of next month.
He said the summit would discuss issues relating to security of nuclear weapons and materials. He hoped that the important event would be helpful in enhancing international understanding of the issues.
To a question he said the Prime Minister was also likely to represent the country at the forthcoming Pakistan-EU summit.
To a question he said, “the United States, like other friendly countries, has been helpful in encouraging both Pakistan and India to resolve the longstanding issue of Kashmir peacefully through dialogue”.
To another question about the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia, he said Pakistan had close brotherly relations with the Kingdom and there was immense mutual confidence and trust. He, however, said,” this doesn’t mean that India cannot have relationship with Saudi Arabia”.
He said, “Pakistan is not worried about Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia.”
Similarly, he said, “China is an all weather friend of Pakistan and we have convergence of views on all regional and global issues.” China has been playing a useful and positive role in containing tension in South Asia and Pakistan greatly appreciates this role, said the spokesman.
To a question the spokesman said the entire international community knew what Pakistan had been doing in the context of terrorism. “Since Pakistan is a victim of terrorism, therefore, there is no question of it leaving any stone unturned to fight this menace,” he added.
The spokesman said four Pakistani nationals were shot down in Kandahar in Afghanistan by some unknown gunmen. They were working for a Japanese company Saita. The victims are Wazir Khan from Mianwali, Muhammad Khan from Chakwal, Asghar Ali from Sialkot and Mazhar Hussain from Azad Kashmir.
He said,” their families have been informed and their dead bodies are being brought home. Pakistan Embassy in Kabul is in touch with the Afghan authorities to get the killers arrested and bring them to book as well as to enhance security and protection for Pakistani nationals in Afghanistan.” He said Pakistani nationals have been playing an important role in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan.
Courtesy www.Geo.tv