ISLAMABAD - Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said on Tuesday Islamabad would positively respond to New Delhi if it desired to resume peace talks, but such an initiative should be based on equality and mutual respect.
“India cancelled the scheduled meeting between the two foreign secretaries, so it is obligatory that India should resume the dialogue process,” Sartaj Aziz said in an informal chat with journalists after inaugurating the annual conference of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics in Islamabad.
Ruling out possibility of any immediate breakthrough, the adviser told a questioner that Pakistan did not expect any breakthrough on resumption of bilateral dialogue with India while the Modi administration was in charge of affairs. He said after the handshake, between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the conclusion of 18th Saarc summit in Kathmandu, no immediate breakthrough was possible.
He, however, said Pakistan was always ready to resume the dialogue process with India to resolve all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, and never wanted to escalate the tension in the region. “Pakistan wants peaceful relations with India based on the principles of equality, dignity and self-respect,” he added.
In August this year, India called off foreign secretary-level bilateral talks with Pakistan, criticising Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit’s meeting with Hurriyat leader Shabir Shah.
Sartaj Aziz said Kashmiris were peacefully struggling for their rights, but India wanted to divert international community’s attention by terming their struggle terrorism.
He said Pakistan would continue its efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Kashmir problem in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions based on the aspirations of Kashmiri people. He said India must resolve the Kashmir issue politically instead of using force against the peaceful struggle of Kashmiris.
Replying to a question about the present political situation and economic conditions of Pakistan, he said the protests, sit-ins and poor law and order situation had disturbed the foreign investment, but hoped the situation would improve within next few weeks.
Earlier, in his inaugural address to the three-day conference, Sartaz Aziz expressed the hope that, with the completion of the military operation against the terrorists, the law and order situation in the country would improve and investment, especially foreign investment, would increase.
He said the government had initiated a number of steps to improve the economic conditions, adding provision of social safety network through ensuring food to the deserving people was a must to ensure progress and prosperity in the country.
Aziz said Bait-ul-Mal and Benazir Income Support Programme were very effective to ensure basic needs of life to the people, especially those living below poverty line. He was of the view that with the investment, job opportunities would increase to help the people solve their economic problems.
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