News
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
NY plot damaged Pak-US ties: FM* Qureshi says Pakistan fully supporting US in Faisal Shahzad probe
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Pakistan will provide every possible support to the US in investigations regarding Faisal Shehzad, the mastermind behind the Times Square bombing attempt, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday, adding that the incident had damaged Pak-US relations to some extent.
A private TV channel quoted Qureshi as saying that both Pakistan and the US had developed multifaceted ties on the basis of mutual interest, respect and trust.
Qureshi was speaking during a consultative meeting with the country’s chief of army staff, former foreign ministers and secretaries and ambassadors to discuss the resumption of Pak-India dialogue and peace process.
Briefing participants on the Thimphu meeting between Indian and Pakistani prime ministers on the sidelines of the 16th SAARC Summit, the foreign minister said that although the two countries had agreed to return to the negotiating table to discuss all issues, it was important that the dialogue continued uninterrupted.
He said the Thimphu meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and the two leaders agreed to take cognisance of each other’s concerns and resume the peace process in order to resolve all outstanding issues.
Qureshi said Pakistan wanted to normalise its relations with India on the basis of equality and respect and would not accept any pre-condition.
The foreign minister said he would call his counterpart SM Krishna in a couple of days to chalk out a plan for resuming the dialogue.
He said terrorism was a regional issue and had to be dealt with through cooperation. daily times monitor/staff report
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk