Indicating that end of terrorism will play a key role in determining bilateral relations, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria said that if ‘terrorism ends’ India is prepared to take 10 steps forward.
He was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a conference at the Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta [IIM-C] on Friday. He is an alumnus of the Kolkata IIM.
He was answering questions regarding the comment of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier that Pakistan was “ready to take two steps forward if [India] takes one.”
“A new political window has opened with the election of a new government in Pakistan. We are filled with cautious hope that we can move the normalisation process forward,” said Mr. Bisaria.
He said that he is ‘hopeful’ that with the “election of a new government [in Pakistan] there would be more sensible policy towards India and towards the issue of terrorism.” It has “given rise to new hope of genuine initiatives for peace being undertaken [by Pakistan].”
Trade ties
He emphasised on boosting economic relations with Pakistan and increasing bilateral trade.
“More normal economic relationship between India and Pakistan, free of all non-trade barriers, will take the trade between the two countries between $20 and 30 billion. Currently the bilateral trade is just $2 billion,” said Mr. Bisaria.
