Government committed to sustained, result-oriented engagement with India: Khar tells National Assembly

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said that Pakistan is committed to a constructive, sustained and result-oriented process of engagement with India.
In a written reply to National Assembly on Wednesday regarding Pakistan's steps being taken to devise a peaceful, regional and friendship strategy to secure peace in the region, she said that under the resumed dialogue process Secretary level meetings were held on all issues of bilateral importance including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
The resumed dialogue process culminated in Foreign Ministers' level talks on July 27, 2011 in New Delhi. She said that Commerce Minister of Pakistan visited India recently.
She said that the commerce secretaries of the two countries have also held second round of talks on November 14-15, 2011 in New Delhi. These visits have significantly improved the atmospherics between the two countries, she added. The cabinet also recently decided to grant MFN status to India in its meeting held on November 2, 2011, she said.
Whereas, referring to relations with Afghanistan, she said that Pakistan continues to support an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process. "We are also actively engaged in various trilateral and quadrilateral forums exploring ways to bring peace, stability and development in Afghanistan," she said, adding that peace and security must be underpinned by economic development.
She said that Pakistan had pledged an amount of $330 million for carrying out development and reconstruction work in Afghanistan. Khar, however, said that it was important for Pakistan to further strengthen bilateral relations with Afghanistan and Iran in all fields for the mutual benefits of the people. About relations with China, the Foreign Minister said that China was Pakistan's closest friend and strategic partner, adding that 2011 was declared as Pak-China Friendship Year.
"Besides, frequent high level exchanges, our trade and economic relationship with China is fast becoming the centre-piece of our bilateral relations. The trend needs to be sustained and further strengthened," she underlined. Regarding Pakistan relations with Russia, she said that Islamabad was enjoying friendly and co-operative relations with Moscow that have significantly improved in the past few years.
She further said that in the wake of recent Nato attacks on border posts, an Envoys Conference was convened on the directives of the prime minister to reassess country's foreign policy. The recommendations of the conference would be presented before the Parliament for further deliberation, she added. "The Envoys' Conference reaffirmed that Pakistan's external relations continue to be based on the principles of respect for sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in accordance with international law as enshrined in the UN charter", the Foreign Minister further told the House.
To another question, Khar told the House that the foreign policy of Pakistan was based on the principles of non-interference in internal affairs, respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with the norms of international law.
"We also seek to protect and promote our core national interests", she said, adding that in the wake of Nato attacks, when Pakistan's sovereignty came under threat, the prime minister directed a reassessment of the foreign policy. The Envoys' Conference reaffirmed that Pakistan's external relations continue to be based on the principles of respect for sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in accordance with international law as enshrined in the UN Charter, she said.
She stated that the conference deliberated on 'different aspects' of the foreign policy focusing to reassess the relationship with the United States & Nato. She said that the conference also aimed at charting out new avenues for emerging challenges on the international scene.