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India should take initiative for resumption of talks: PM
Referring to India’s unilateral decision to call off foreign secretary-level talks, Nawaz says, “now the ball is in India’s court”
APP
ONBOARD PM'S SPECIAL AIRCRAFT - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Tuesday that India should take an initiative to resume talks with Pakistan.
“Now the ball is in India’s court,” he said while referring to India’s unilateral decision to call off foreign secretary-level talks, which were due in August this year. Talking to journalists aboard his flight from Islamabad to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, he said that the decision to hold foreign secretary-level talks was taken by the prime ministers of both Pakistan and India, and should not have been called off unilaterally.
“These talks should not have been cancelled unilaterally,” he said. When asked about chances of resumption of talks with India, the prime minister said that the question better be put forth to India in view of its one-sided decision. He said that Pakistan was disappointed by this decision and now India should take the initiative to resume the talks.
The prime minister is due to attend, on Wednesday, the 18th summit of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Indian Prime Minister Modi is among other SAARC leaders, who will join the summit. Nawaz stressed on strengthening the SAARC as an effective organisation and harnessing its potential to the fullest.
He said that the SAARC was going to complete 30 years of its establishment, however it was far behind other regional forums. The prime minister said that he had visited some earlier SAARC summits and had given several proposals for its improvement. He said that regional conflicts were the main impediment to the strengthening of SAARC. He, however, said that Pakistan would continue playing its role in making the SAARC an effective body.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk