ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Thursday said it is looking forward to the resumption of composite dialogue process with India so that people of this region could benefit from economic development and cooperation between the two countries.
“We believe that to have sustainable and durable peace, we need to address all the issues and disputes that stand between Pakistan and India for having normal, good neighborly relations and having peace and cooperation in the region,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told weekly press briefing on Thursday.
The spokesperson made these comments in response to a question that India wants to have piecemeal talks with Pakistan and does not subscribe to the idea of only sticking to the framework of Composite Dialogue that remains disrupted for the last three years.
On Pakistan’s relations with India in case Narendra Modi wins elections, the spokesperson said, “We deal with countries and it is for the people of India to elect whoever they deem fit. We will take it from there”.
To a question, the spokesperson said Pakistan is a recognized and legitimate party to Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Answering another question, she said that Pakistan’s relations with Russian Federation are on very positive trajectory for some time now.
“A high level committee has been constituted to sort out issues relating to trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Russian Federation and once this is done, the relations with Russia would see a great leap forward”, she added.The spokesperson while welcoming the successful conduct of elections in Afghanistan said the continuation of democracy is vital for peace and stability in the region.
She said Pakistan extended consistent support for security and successful conduct of Afghanistan elections and took a number of measures to reinforce existing security arrangements.
Highlighting the measures taken by Pakistan with reference to Afghan elections, she said, these included enhanced vigilance and security along the entire length of Pak-Afghan border; sealing of all the crossing points, deployment of additional troops, aerial surveillance, and enhanced communication through Border Coordination Centres.
She said at the request of Afghan government, border crossing points at Torkham and Chaman were kept open to enable eligible Afghan voters in Pakistan to go to Afghanistan to use their right of vote.
The spokesperson said Pakistan would work with the next Afghan government and try to give further impetus to bilateral relations in all fields.
Referring to the comments of an Afghan official about talks with Taliban, the spokesperson said talks with TTP are internal matter of Pakistan and nobody has the right to interfere in the internal affairs. She pointed out that Afghan Government itself is keen to talk with the Taliban. On Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Iran, the spokesperson said that dates of the visit are being finalized and it is likely to take place in the first half of the current year.
The spokesperson hoped that meeting of Pakistan-US working group on law enforcement and counter-terrorism would take place soon.