Pakistan, India fail to agree on schedule for talks resumption

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India couldn’t agree on schedule for resumption of their stalled bilateral dialogue in much discussed meeting between the foreign secretaries of the two countries here Tuesday.
Pakistan has also formally raised the issue of Indian involvement in Balochistan and Fata and Samjhauta Express terrorist attack with the visiting Indian secretary for external affairs. In the meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has reminded the Indian Foreign Secretary Subramanium Jaishankar that South Asian region has suffered enormously due to tensions and unresolved disputes despite being blessed with vast resources. “Our people deserve to live in peace and reap the benefits of economic development,” he said.
The prime minister said both the countries need to start a new chapter in their relationship by working towards resolving their all outstanding issues through dialogue.
He impressed upon Jaishankar that it is important to establish good neighbourly and cooperative relations between India and Pakistan which is consistent with his vision of a peaceful neighbourhood in South Asia. He expressed confidence that talks between the foreign secretaries of the two countries will result in charting the way forward in bilateral relations. He said it is imperative that the leadership of the two countries rises up to the expectations of the two peoples. “We must think together, act together and move forward with the spirit of bringing the two nations closer to each other. The two countries should lend a hand of cooperation to each other to improve the standard of living of 1.5 billion people. Prime Minister Nawaz said Pakistan will be hosting the 19th Saarc Summit next year. “I look forward to welcoming all Saarc leaders. Saarc forum offers an important avenue to all countries of the region to develop the potential of regional cooperation by working together.”
He said that it would be important that the bilateral discussions, whenever held, would seek to address each other’s concerns in areas where the two countries differ, and work together in areas where both the countries agree. “We must have peace and tranquillity on the Line of Control,” he said. Nawaz said he was deeply disturbed at the recent incidents of firing on the working boundary. “The existing military to military mechanisms must be used optimally to check ceasefire violations,” he said.
The prime minister said that terrorism has afflicted the entire region and Pakistan is waging a valiant struggle against all terrorists by dismantling their hideouts and network. He recalled his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on May 27, last year. “It was our shared desire to improve our bilateral relations,” he said.He also recalled his meetings with former Indian prime ministers Atal Behari Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh.