English
Mumbai,December 13 : Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit once again reiterated the importance to include Kashmir at top of agenda for talks to materialise between New Delhi and Islamabad. Following his remarks he also said that it is a welcome move that there has been a resumption of a bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan which is important for the region to remain stable and peaceful.
Apart from the articulating the need to include Kashmir in the process of bilateral discussion, he also cited the importance of Hurriyat in the whole process, describing it as the voice of a large section of Kashmiri people.
India and Pakistan recently came out with a joint statement earlier this week during External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit to Islamabad and decided to resume the stalled dialogue process while agreeing to cooperate with each other on various issues like terror, narcotics, culture and Kashmir
The Narendra Modi government in August had earlier called off foreign secretary and national security advisor level talks while expressing strong objections to the Pakistan high commissioner hosting Kashmiri separatists on the eve of talks..
On being asked if talks will continue if there was a terror attack in India, Basit said it’s in the interest for both the countries for the dialogue to sustain.
When asked if handing over underworld Dawood Ibrahim, who is believed to be in Pakistan alongside 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi would bring about a positive and substantial change in the dialogue process, the Pakistan high commissioner said solving the Kashmir problem will be the biggest breakthrough in the peace process.Basit also added saying that the two countries must now ensure that there are no hurdles in the dialogue.(ALSO SAID : Abdul Basit claims Pakistan wants to work together on terrorism).
He also said that both the countries have forces and factional groups in respective countries who does not want relations to improve.Regarding speeding up of the Mumbai terror attack trial in Pakistan, he explained that there is a judicial process which is taking its course and process. Speaking on terrorism, Basit said Pakistan is also a victim of terrorism.
On the prospect of India and Pakistan resuming bilateral cricketing ties since 2012, Basit added that Pakistan was always ready to play with India. “It is now up to the Indian government to decide. We will be very happy if cricketing ties resume and this will lead to better relations between the two countries,” he had added to the media.
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