ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri on Friday said Pakistan-India relations should not be held hostage to the internal Indian politics.

Talking to reporters after a press conference with his Iranian counterpart Dr Kamal Kharazi, he said: “I hope Pakistan-India relations are not held hostage to Indian internal politics and the Indian elections.”

Answering a question about a statement by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in occupied Kashmir, Mr Kasuri said all these things were tied to Indian domestic politics and forthcoming elections.

“Pakistan has done all it can to stop violence,” he pointed out.

The minister said Pakistan had asked the international community to bring in neutral monitors to find out if something was really taking place. Pakistan could not accept India’s word, he added. “We cannot allow India to be the accuser, prosecutor, judge... all at the same time.”

However, he maintained, Pakistan was even ready for talks tomorrow.

He said the difference in approach was evident from the positive treatment given to Indian parliamentarians who had access to the president, the prime minister, the foreign minister and the National Assembly speaker. However, he pointed out, it did not happen when Pakistani delegation visited India.

In reply to a question, he said India had always argued that trade ties would lead to better relations. However, he added, as far as the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project was concerned, this did not seem to be the case. “It is India which is dragging its feet and not Pakistan.”

About the acquisition of weapons by India from Israel, he said Pakistan had conveyed its concerns to the international community. He said what Israel was giving to India were major force multipliers and added that this disparity in conventional arms should not be there.—APP