News
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
Dialogue only way to normalise Pakistan-India relations: Nawaz* PM says terrorism not just Pakistan’s problem
* Strategy regarding Taliban to be formed after his return to country
* China welcomes Nawaz-Manmohan peace initiative
LONDON: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Monday that the dialogue process between Pakistan and India must continue as it is the only way to normalise relations.
“Dialogue is the only way forward in normalising situation between the two neighbourly countries,” the prime minister said while talking to media on his arrival at the Heathrow airport in London on his return from New York after attending the United Nations General Assembly session. Prime Minister Nawaz termed his meeting with Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh as “productive” and said all important issues, including Kashmir and Sir Creek, came under discussion.
Prime Minister Nawaz had an hour-long meeting with Singh during which they agreed to stop the recent spate of attacks across the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region in order to advance for peace talks. Nawaz Sharif said that during the meeting, he also pointed out the Indian interference in Balochistan. The prime minister said terrorism was not just limited to Pakistan, rather many other countries were facing this challenge. He said Taliban had disowned the bomb blasts in a church in Peshawar, and now we have to identify the elements behind these attacks. He called for exposing those behind terrorism and extremism. He also said that a strategy would be formed regarding Taliban after he returned to Pakistan.
China on Monday welcomed the meeting between Indian and Pakistani leaders and reiterated its support for the two countries to solve their differences through dialogue. “We welcome the efforts made by the leaders of India and Pakistan to improve bilateral relations,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei at a regular news briefing. “India and Pakistan are both important countries in South Asia, the improvement of their relations is critical to peace, stability and development in the region,” the spokesman said. “As their common neighbour and friend, China supports, as always, efforts by India and Pakistan to solve their differences through dialogue and cooperation to achieve common development,” he said.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also welcomed the meeting between Nawaz and Singh, a UN spokesman said. “He (secretary general) welcomed the recent talks held between Pakistan and India,” spokesman Martin Nesirky said. Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said on Monday that initiation of negotiations between Pakistan and India was a good omen in way of resolving outstanding issues. Talking to private TV channels, Rashid said that back-channel diplomacy between two countries would continue for developing relations. agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk