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| 08 January 2004 | Thursday | 15 Ziqa'ad 1424 |
Dialogue will bring durable peace: President, PM optimistic
ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali on Wednesday hoped that the recent agreement between Pakistan and India would bring durable peace to South Asia.
At a meeting here, the president and the prime minister expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the 12th Saarc summit and the Pakistan-India agreement on resuming a composite dialogue next month.
They underlined the importance of moving forward with trust and sincerity through the forthcoming dialogue on all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir. They emphasized that an environment of peace and harmony was imperative for the collective well-being of the people of Saarc countries.
They said the agreement reached at the Saarc summit would be helpful in enhancing cooperation among countries of the region. Gen Musharraf congratulated Mr Jamali on the success of the summit and expressed appreciation for the efforts of all those who worked for its smooth conduct.
US CONGRESSMEN: At his meeting with a delegation of US Congressmen, Mr Jamali said the 12th Saarc summit was a historic occasion which would pave the way for the resolution of all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan.
He said democracy in Pakistan was taking root and his government was taking measures to consolidate the democratic institutions. The prime minister said the government was committed to eradicating poverty and added that substantial increase had been made to allocations for education and health.
In a TV interview, the prime minister said that Islamabad was sincere in its efforts to normalize ties with India, AFP adds. "The government-to-government responsibility is to resolve the disputes and our concrete steps will have to be so exemplary that others can follow," Mr Jamali told India's private Aaj Tak television network.
Describing Gen Musharraf as a "trend-setter", he rejected suggestions that the latest rapprochement between India and Pakistan was a result of pressure from the United States.
"There is no pressure on Musharraf and Vajpayee, but there is facilitations that the two sides should talk. We want good relations between us," Mr Jamali added.
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