Nawaz underscores need for good relations with India

Nawaz Sharif, Chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), on Monday underscored the need for improving country's relations with India. For this purpose, he added, the government is required to revisit Pakistan's foreign policy in relation to its eastern neighbour. Talking to newspapers' editors and senior journalists at a dinner, Nawaz said, "we invite crises by ourselves to hit us and commit things that bring us back to square one."
"I was stunned by the then Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee when he said in 1999 that Kashmir issue could be resolved," he added. He disclosed that Vajpayee proposed back-channel diplomacy for resolving issues and that process was about to start when Kargil misadventure dealt a severe blow to our efforts. He said there were many things, which could not be said in public. Now we stand isolated in the world.
PPI adds: Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Chief Nawaz Sharif says Pakistan is facing isolation, urging that the policies of democratic government and sovereign parliament should be implemented in letter and spirit in order to restore the country's image in the comity of nations.
Talking to editors of newspapers and senior journalists on Monday at a dinner, he said, "we want to bring Pakistan back on the track with a strong democratic government having control on all institutions and respecting the decisions of the parliament." The parliament should also discuss defence budget and allocations for intelligence agencies, he underlined.
He talked about constitution of the independent commission proposed by the joint sitting of the parliament through the unanimously passed resolution to investigate different aspects of May 2 US action. He said modalities and composition of commission members would be finalised by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Opposition leader in the National Assembly at the earliest, which would hold thorough probe into the incident and fix responsibilities.
He demanded that those involved in the killing of Nawab Akber Bugti and May 12, 2007 mayhem in Karachi should be put on trial. This will help normalise situation in Balochistan province and check targeted killings in Karachi, he added. PML-N leaders Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Ghous Ali Shah, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Mamnoon Hussain, Pervez Rasheed were also present.
Earlier in the day while talking to reporter at Mazar-e-Quaid, Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan must show 'self-respect' and refuse foreign aid. "The need of the hour is we should give sacrifices and shun the begging bowl. We can take the country out of the prevailing crisis by setting of direction, "he said. "We should rule and govern in a transparent manner," he urged. He asked the government to immediately reduce its expenditure by 50 per cent which will help in overcoming financial crisis being faced by the nation. To a question, he said, "no one including me, armed forces and the government is above the law."