‘Pak commits to Kashmir’s peaceful resolution’
7 May 2014 12:09 AM GMT
Emphasising on having a ‘peaceful neighbourhood’, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said his country is committed to engaging with India for the peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, through a sustained dialogue.
‘We remain committed to reaching out to India and seeking peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, including Kashmir, through a sustained dialogue. We believe the main dynamic in South Asia should be cooperation, not confrontation,’ Sharif said. ‘The hopes and aspirations of one-fifth of humanity for a more hopeful future can be realised, only if we focus on accelerating our development, and harnessing our full potential,’ Sharif said. His comments came just days after the powerful army chief Gen Raheel Sharif raised the Kashmir issue, calling it Pakistan’s ‘jugular vein’.
Sharif has been making the right noises for better relations with India even before he assumed power following the historic general election last year. But continued tensions at the LoC, for most of last year that claimed lives of several Indian soldiers, had put a spanner in peace efforts.
Another area of uneasiness was the non-fructification of a liberalised trade regime between the two countries. After much enthusiasm initially, Pakistan now says it will sign the trade deal with the new government in India hoping that it will act as an ice-breaker.
‘We remain committed to reaching out to India and seeking peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, including Kashmir, through a sustained dialogue. We believe the main dynamic in South Asia should be cooperation, not confrontation,’ Sharif said. ‘The hopes and aspirations of one-fifth of humanity for a more hopeful future can be realised, only if we focus on accelerating our development, and harnessing our full potential,’ Sharif said. His comments came just days after the powerful army chief Gen Raheel Sharif raised the Kashmir issue, calling it Pakistan’s ‘jugular vein’.
Sharif has been making the right noises for better relations with India even before he assumed power following the historic general election last year. But continued tensions at the LoC, for most of last year that claimed lives of several Indian soldiers, had put a spanner in peace efforts.
Another area of uneasiness was the non-fructification of a liberalised trade regime between the two countries. After much enthusiasm initially, Pakistan now says it will sign the trade deal with the new government in India hoping that it will act as an ice-breaker.
Next Story
