By NNN-APP,
New York : Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and India Sunday recongized the need for good neighborly relations but concluded their two hour meeting without giving any timeframe for resumption of dialogue process, stalled since Novemebr Mumbai 2008 attacks.
Their meeting took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session and was preceded by a meeting between the foreign secretaries of the two countries.
“Dialouge is the most sensible and the only way forward” for improvement in Pakistan-India relations, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in his post-meeting comments.
He described talks with his Indian counterpart S M Krishna as “frank, positive and honest.”
“Negotiations are the only way for peaceful resolution of (oustanding) issues between the two countries,” he told newsmen after about two hours of talks with Krishna on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly summit.
“We cannot confine our discusssions to just one issue, that is terrorism and the Mumbai (attacks) —- I am arguing for sanity and peace,” he said, underscoring the need for resumption of Pakistan-India peace process.
Shah, who updated Krishna on progress in investigation into Mumbai attacks, said seven individuals have been arrested and 20 individuals have been proclaimed absconders and the formal trial against these individuals will start on the third of October.
“Pakistan wants to see this trial (taken) to its logical conclusion.” Qureshi said “all oustanding issues that form part of the composite dialogue process,” should be discussed by the two sides as negotiations offer the only way forward for their peaceful resolution.
“I raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wuler and water issues.”
Qureshi said he also discussed with Krishna prospects for bilateal and regional trade and benefits of enhanced people to people contacts.
Pakistan, he said, is a responsible country and knows its responsibilities.
“Pakistan has condemned the Mumbai incident.
We consider it to be a heinous crime – we have decided to take actions against perpetrators.”
He said Hafiz Saeed is being questioned on the basis of leads provided to Pakistan.
Meanwhile, in a separate media interaction, Indian Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna on Sunday said he had a “useful and candid” meeting with his Pakistani counterpart but gave no definitive timeframe for resumption of a dialogue process between the two sides.
He acknowledged that Pakistan has taken steps against Mumbai attack suspects within its legal system but said dialogue process needs an environment free of the threat of terrorism.
Krishna recognized that being neighbors, the two South Asian countries should have mutually beneficial relationship in the long-term perspective.
“We had a useful constructive and candid exchange of views on the present state of our bilateral relations,” Krishna said.
“We both agreed that the future direction in our relations has to be deeper sustained and meaningful relations. Being a neighbour there is imperative to have mutually beneficial relationship with each other in the long-term interest of our own countries.”
“I utilized the opportunity to convey to Foreign Minister Qureshi our appreciation that for a sustained dialogue process to succeed it is essential to ensure an environment free of violence, terrorism.”
Krishna said there is no need for back-channel diploamcy because the two sides are meeting in the open.