News
Thursday, March 04, 2010
India following strategy of ‘talks for the sake of talks’: Qureshi* Foreign minister says govt diligently following strategy of clearing, holding and rebuilding war-affected areas
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: India is ‘trapped in a Cold War mindset’ when it comes to Pakistan and New Delhi is following the ‘talks for the sake of talks’ approach, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Wednesday.
“Engaging in talks for the sake of talks will serve no purpose. India has to change its approach towards Pakistan which somehow continues to be anchored in the Cold War mindset,” he said while talking to Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stor who called on him and discussed in detail a wide range of bilateral and regional issues.
Qureshi said Pakistan went to the recently held foreign secretary-level meeting in New Delhi with an open mind, as it wanted its ties with India to ‘normalise’ by resolving the bilateral disputes through sustained and meaningful dialogue.
Reconstructive efforts: He underlined the need for accelerating reconstructive efforts in Malakand division and FATA in order to achieve a ‘decisive victory against the Taliban’. Pakistan is diligently pursuing the strategy of clearing, holding and rebuilding the war-affected areas, he added.
“There is nonetheless the need for international assistance and support to build the war-torn region as time is of the essence. Pakistan cannot afford for the efforts aimed at winning the hearts of the locals to unravel at this critical stage,” Qureshi said. He conveyed to his Norwegian counterpart the sentiments of the people of Pakistan about the reproduction of blasphemous cartoons in Norway. The freedom of expression is not absolute and has to be based on respect for everyone’s religious beliefs, Qureshi added.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk