Hina briefs NA about her visit to India

ISLAMABAD : Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar declared in the National Assembly that Pakistan was seeking good neighb

Published August 9, 2011 Updated August 9, 2011 08:12am

3 min

By Imad Uddin

Add BRecorder as a trusted
source on Google

Briefing the House on the Foreign Ministers-level talks held with India last month, she said Pakistan wants to build trust with countries like India and Afghanistan and begin a new era of cooperation.
The minister said it was intention of Pakistan to make dialogue process with India uninterrupted and uninterruptible.
She said “we want to create conducive environment in which the two countries could talk about core issues and move towards their resolution.”
She said before foreign ministers-level talks with India, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani took the entire political leadership into confidence on the dialogue sending a strong message that Pakistan was serious in engaging with India.
Khar said during her stay in New Delhi she met with Kashmiri leaders including Syed Ali Gilani and Mir Waiz Umar Farooq assuring them that Pakistan remains committed in its political and legal position on Jammu and Kashmir and continue to support their cause.

She reiterated Pakistan’s continued support to associate true representatives of Kashmiri people with dialogue process with India on Jammu and Kashmir.
The foreign minister said the two countries had frank, constructive, cordial and meaningful dialogue and agreed to carry forward the process with a view to resolving peacefully all outstanding issues.
She said India was conveyed that Pakistan remains committed to a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

Pakistan also conveyed its desire that it wants meaningful and result-oriented engagement on Jammu and Kashmir and that serious consideration should be given to associate APHC with Pakistan-India dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir, she said.
Pakistan also conveyed its serious concerns over violation of human rights of Kashmir people and emphasized the need for respecting their fundamental rights and freedom, she said.
The two countries agreed to enhance the existing facilities for travel and trade across LOC for Kashmiris on both sides, she said.
She said that Pakistan also conveyed to India that it was keen to seek progress on Siachin and Sir Creek issues which are doable.
Pakistan raised the water issues and emphasized the need for respecting Indus Water Treaty. Both the countries agreed to uphold the sanctity of Indus Water Treaty, she said.
The minister said both the countries agreed to convene separate meetings of expert groups on nuclear and conventional CBMs in Islamabad next month. They also agreed to resume the work of Pakistan-India Joint Commission, she added.
Khar said that the two countries agreed for holding of ministerial-level meeting in the first half of the next year to review progress of dialogue process.
“This would be preceded by Secretaries-level talks on counter terrorism including Mumbai trial, narcotics control, humanitarian issues, commerce and economic cooperation. Wullar Barrage, Tulbal Navigation Project, Sir Creek, Siachin, peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir and promotion of friendly exchanges. The dates for these meetings would be decided shortly through diplomatic channels”, she said.
The foreign minister said during her meeting with the Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh conveyed that he was committed to heralding a new spring in relations between the two countries.

Khar said she delivered a letter of invitation from Prime Minister Gilani to the Indian Prime Minister for a visit to Pakistan which was accepted.

Read Comments