No breakthrough in talks with India, concedes Pakistan

New Delhi agrees there is no option but dialogue to resolve issues

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan conceded on Wednesday that there was no major breakthrough in talks with India but that there was a realisation by New Delhi that there was no other option but “dialogue” to move ahead and find a way out for all outstanding issues.

According to Pakistan, both the countries agreed that people-to-people contacts should remain intact irrespective of the situation, and a consensus was reached to keep working on humanitarian issues.

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry on his return to Islamabad after attending the senior officials meeting of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul in New Delhi told the media, “The two sides raised their respective concerns in a cordial and forthright manner. There is a realization on the part of India that dialogue is the only way forward to discuss all the outstanding issues.”

However, there was no indication from his counterpart S Jainshankar in his comments on Tuesday that New Delhi was ready to engage in future structured parleys nor he hinted atstructured parleys nor hinted at any future dates.

“We discussed bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern in a cordial environment. In line with our Prime Minister’s vision of a peaceful neighborhood, I underscored the need for a structured, sustained and result-oriented comprehensive dialogue process between the two countries”, said Chaudhry.

It was because of this he added that there should be “uninterruptible dialogue process” which would require commitment from both sides. “I affirmed to my Indian counterpart that Pakistan believes that a sustained and structured engagement is imperative for resolving the outstanding issues”, he added.

However, Chaudhry remained optimistic and commenting on the bilateral meeting which lasted 90 minutes said, “Pakistan will welcome whenever India is ready to start the dialogue process”.

The Foreign Secretary reiterated his earlier remarks that Kashmir is a core issue, and the matter of the occupied land should be resolved in line with wishes of Kashmiris, and the resolution of United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

“I emphasised that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remained the core issue and it was vital to find a just solution to this long standing issue, as per the UN Security Council resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people”, he explained.

Jhanshankar was also informed about the confession statement by apprehended RAW officer, Kulbushan Jadev, and demand for a fair investigation and trial of the Samjhauta Express Terrorist Attack, which resulted in the death of more than 42 innocent Pakistanis. 

Turning to the New Delhi Senior Officials’ Meeting held yesterday, the Foreign Secretary said Pakistan highlighted the positive role being played by Pakistan in efforts for bringing long term peace and stability to Afghanistan. 

“We reaffirmed our firm commitment to continued close engagement with the Government of Afghanistan. We expressed grave concern over continued violence in Afghanistan claiming innocent lives, particularly the 19 April attack in Kabul. Reiterating that politically negotiated settlement remains a viable option for lasting peace in Afghanistan, we emphasized the need of continued efforts by all the members of the QCG for early direct peace talks under the principle of shared commitment”, he added.

Pakistan also called  for promoting regional cooperation and connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia through projects like Tapi, Casa 1000, Railroad networks etc, which would help bring shared prosperity to our region.