Pakistan on Monday said it is “not hesitant” about solving terror-related issues with India though the Kashmir dispute will have to be settled to ensure absolute peace in the region.
Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit made the remarks while talking to a TV news channel about the Foreign Secretary-level talks scheduled to be held in New Delhi on February 25.
A number of issues, including terrorism, the Kashmir dispute, differences over sharing of river waters and bilateral trade, would come up for discussion during the upcoming meeting, he said.
Pakistan will also bring up India’s alleged involvement in fomenting unrest in the tribal areas and Balochistan province, Mr. Basit said.
No conditions had been set for the dialogue, he added.
Mr. Basit described New Delhi’s proposal for the Foreign Secretary-level talks as “appreciable in the current situation” but said India had wasted a year by discontinuing talks with Pakistan in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
He claimed it “was still not clear what India wanted” from the talks.
There are also "no chances" of a meeting between the Prime Ministers of Pakistan and India in the near future, Mr. Basit said.
In response to a question, Mr. Basit described External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna's recent statements as a "positive step for the composite dialogue" and said terrorism is a global and regional phenomenon and a big challenge for the world.
Pakistan needs the cooperation of all regional countries for the resolution of this issue, Mr. Basit said.
Replying to another question, Mr. Basit said a "major change" had been observed in the US policy for Pakistan and the American people too "wanted an end to drone strikes" in the country's tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.
