Sharif for 'serious' engagement with India

On LoC tension, he said Pakistan will respond with "restraint and responsibility".

September 17, 2013 03:31 pm | Updated June 02, 2016 12:50 pm IST - Islamabad

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pauses during a joint press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, not pictured,  in Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, Aug. 26, 2013. Afghanistan's president urged neighboring Pakistan to facilitate peace talks with the Taliban during a visit to Islamabad on Monday, but expectations were low in both countries that much progress would be made in jumpstarting negotiations. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pauses during a joint press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, not pictured, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, Aug. 26, 2013. Afghanistan's president urged neighboring Pakistan to facilitate peace talks with the Taliban during a visit to Islamabad on Monday, but expectations were low in both countries that much progress would be made in jumpstarting negotiations. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Asserting that people had given him the mandate to improve ties with neighbours, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said Pakistan is keen to have a comprehensive dialogue with India for the resolution of all issues including Kashmir.

Mr Sharif said he is committed to a “serious, sustained and constructive engagement” with India that must include the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

Describing the recent tension at the LoC as matter of concern, he said Pakistan will respond to the situation with “restraint and responsibility“.

In an interview to a Turkish media network, Mr Sharif said his government is pursuing a foreign policy of forging stable and cooperative relations with all countries, especially neighbouring countries.

“For the effective pursuit of our socio-economic agenda, good relations with all our neighbours are essential and a priority for my government,” Mr Sharif, currently in Turkey on a three-day official visit, was quoted as saying by the Nation.

“I have always given high priority to good relations with India for the sake of durable peace in the region. We are keen to have a comprehensive dialogue with India for the resolution of all issues including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir,” Mr Sharif added.

The Prime Minister said he started this process when the then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Lahore in 1999 and the two sides were very close to finding a negotiated settlement to the Kashmir dispute.

State-run Radio Pakistan quoted Mr Sharif as saying that the recent tension along the Line of Control are a matter of concern but Pakistan will “continue to respond to the situation with restraint and responsibility”.

“He renewed Pakistan’s commitment to a serious, sustained and constructive engagement with India that must include the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir,” the report said.

On the issue of negotiations with the Pakistani Taliban, Mr Sharif said his government is ready to hold dialogue with those who are ready to shun extremism.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.