ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: With an aim not to let Pak-India dialogue process sabotaged, Pakistan Minister Nawaz Sharif has asked the federal ministers to avoid giving statements against India.
“There will be statements only that encourage the dialogue process rather than digging out the past. The PM has asked the close aides and cabinet members to promote peace,” The Nation quoted a close aide to Nawaz Sharif as saying according to a report published on The Indian Express website on Saturday.
The official said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is optimistic about Pakistan’s better relations with India which would benefit the whole region.
The official further said that the Pakistani prime minister was annoyed by statements from India that New Delhi only wanted to discuss Kashmir issue in talks with Islamabad but understands this is not Indian government’s policy. He said that Nawaz Sharif wants to give top priority to Kashmir, terrorism and trade when the two sides discuss peace.
Moreover, according to another official, Nawaz Sharif and the military leadership are on the same page to make peace with India.
“There is no difference of opinion and both agree that there should be no compromise on the stated position on key issues,” he said.
It is likely that Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan and India will meet in New Delhi in January next year to discuss bilateral issues as part of an agreement reached during the recent two-day visit of Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Pakistan.
Sushma Swaraj arrived in Islamabad to attend the fifth Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process Ministerial Conference, co-hosted by Pakistan and Afghanistan on December 8-9.
During the bilateral discussion between Sushma Swaraj and Pakistani top civilian leadership, both the countries decided to resume the dialogue process to discuss and sort out all their outstanding issues under the new name “Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue Process.”
