ISLAMABAD    -   Pakistan is open to mediation on peace with India after the United States expressed availability to play a role, diplomats said.

Senior Pakistani diplomats told The Nation that Pakistan believed powerful countries can play an important role for regional peace. “Decades of tensions have given nothing to the region. We want all the issues resolved through talks,” said a senior diplomat. The United States earlier said it supported a constructive dialogue and mean­ingful conversation between Paki­stan and India. The Biden admin­istration however, reiterated that it is for Islamabad and New Delhi to decide on the nature of that dia­logue. “The US is ready to play its role if they agree,” State Depart­ment Spokesperson Ned Price said. “Because these are decisions for the countries themselves. If they agree on a particular role for the United States, the United States is prepared to, as a partner to both countries, support that process in any way that we responsibly can,” Price told a news conference. He added: “Ultimately, it is not for the United States to determine the mo­dalities or the way in which India and Pakistan engage one another. What we support is constructive dialogue, meaningful diplomacy between India and Pakistan, in the first instance to resolve long-stand­ing conflicts.”

He further said the United States supports constructive dialogue. “We support diplomacy between India and Pakistan to resolve, again, an­other set of long-standing disputes. We are a partner. We are willing to support that process in any way that they deem appropriate. But ultimately, these are decisions that India and Pakistan themselves are going to have to make,” he added. Another Pakistani diplomat said Pakistan had always advocated for peace in the region. “It is for India to respond positively. We gave been doing our bit for decades,” he said. Foreign Office spokesperson Mum­taz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan de­sires regional and global peace.