US terms Pak-India ties critical for regional peace
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WASHINGTON: The relationship between India and Pakistan is critical for advancing peace and security in South Asia, says the US State Department as the two countries move closer to resuming bilateral talks.
“We believe that India and Pakistan stand to benefit from practical cooperation and are encouraged that they may resume dialogue aimed at reducing tensions,” the department’s spokesperson Jen Psaki told a briefing in Washington.
Indian officials announced in New Delhi on Friday that their Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar will soon travel to Islamabad to discuss his ‘agenda’ with Pakistani leaders.
Also read: Indian foreign secretary to visit Pakistan
If it materialises, this will be the first high-level visit from India since relations between the two neighbours soured last year.
Also on Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called four South Asian leaders, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and discussed bilateral relations with him.
“The relationship between India and Pakistan is critical to advancing peace and security in South Asia, so we would certainly welcome any resumption of talks between the two countries,” said Ms Psaki when asked to comment on these developments.
Diplomatic sources in Washington say that during his visit to India late last month, President Obama urged Mr Modi to resume talks with Pakistan and also discussed his initiative with Mr Sharif.
Mr Obama had also telephoned the Pakistani prime minister before leaving for India.
Published in Dawn February 16th , 2015
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Comments (68) Closed
Feb 16, 2015 07:57am
United States have always been supporting Pakistan and India co-operation on all issues of national interest...India should know that prosperity for its nations can only be envisioned if there is lasting peace in South Asia...
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Feb 16, 2015 07:57am
Talks not at the cost of kashmir , Pakistan has to give up its obsession and looks inwards and develop what it really has rather than looking outwards , like a kid who has broken all the toys it has and wants a toy from another kid .
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Feb 16, 2015 08:11am
There will be no peace until pakistan decides to focus on welfare of its own people and developing pakistan rather than trying to destablize and destroy India for past incidents and thinks that better way to destabilize India is to first stablize itself, it cannot hope to destroy india without destroying itself too in the process.
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Feb 16, 2015 08:18am
As a good will gesture Foreign secretary of India is traveling to all SARC nations and not only to Pakistan for bilateral talks.Much will depend on how Pakistan interact with him and creates an atmosphere of trust and optimism.Raking up Kashmir and insistence on talking first with Kashmiri separatists Huriyat Conference will only complicate the matter.
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Feb 16, 2015 08:37am
Let's see what good measures does pak will take going forward
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Feb 16, 2015 08:40am
Until Pakistan changes it text books right from grade one to grade 12 and wait for another 67 years for its people to forget the basic hatred created by them against India no normal relations will take place. It’s beyond America to comprehend this kind of hatred.
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Feb 16, 2015 09:31am
Peace and security in South Asia is good for India and good or Pakistan as well as good for America and all its allies and the neighbors of India and Pakistan. It is time India and Pakistan should take bold step to achieve this despite reluctance or opposition from uneducated and fanatics in these countries.
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Feb 16, 2015 09:34am
As I said, Obamas boot to Modi, And kashmir dialogue begins.
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Feb 16, 2015 09:34am
Hope that BJP-PDP forms government in Kashmir. This will force Modi to tone down as people of state will demand better ties with Pakistan to save their lives. But, there is a problem for Pakistan as PDP and other Kashmir parties have problem with Indus water treaty and against it. For more checkout the PDP 11-point proposal to BJP.
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Feb 16, 2015 10:13am
@Zak - Reasons are different. It is not Obama, but formation of BJP government in Kashmir. Checkout PDP's 11-point condition to the BJP. Also, Modi has successfully broken traditions - there will not be composite dialogue and Pakistan - Hurriyat talk.
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Feb 16, 2015 10:29am
@Zak
Don't get so excited
From last 65 years india wants bilateral talks and talks which has no result...
and u can see the result today.
Modi has fired same bomb again..
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Feb 16, 2015 10:44am
Don't make any sense to talk with India abut anything unless india agree to settle Kashmir issue according to pending UN resolution.
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Feb 16, 2015 10:51am
Pakistan is not ready for bilateral relations and trade ,when they are not able give protection to school children and polio workers and also power transmission lines ,how do you expect good relations from them to take initiative ?
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Feb 16, 2015 10:57am
Even US winks or blinks we take that as a comment where either India or Afganistan must get engaged with Pakistan.
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Feb 16, 2015 10:57am
This has nothing to do with Obama or US,It all happened due to a official call by pakistan to India's MEA,Pakistan foreign adviser Mr Sartaz Aziz and PM Nawaz had earler given too many statements that since India has cancelled the talk the onus lies on India to initiate talk but they failed in their tactics and India didn't budge from its stand so finally pakistan had to go back its words and take u turn and made the 1st move to officially convince India for talks on Feb 7.
Check this http://tribune.com.pk/story/834441/basit-to-make-courtesy-call-to-indian-foreign-secretary-in-bid-to-revive-talks/
It was after this move than India send its oreign secretary to pakistan but this is stillthe regional tour rather than Bilateral as expected by pakistan but since its a 1st small step toward the process it should be welcomed
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Feb 16, 2015 11:00am
Om shanti.
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Feb 16, 2015 11:34am
Bring POK under Indian rule for five years and the next five years under Pakistan rule.Continue this model for fifty years.After 50 years pok people would be given a chance to decide which rule is better.Problem solved.
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Feb 16, 2015 11:35am
@Zak Youmean USA given enough goodies to India, I am sure.
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Feb 16, 2015 11:36am
@Zak And what will it achieve , nothing .
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Feb 16, 2015 11:40am
@Zak Nowhere it is mentioned it is about kashmir , obama just told talk to pakistan and you will get tofee and that's it India will act like what US has said and it will get toffee in return.
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Feb 16, 2015 11:49am
Note:- Below given the Basis of Israelite state governing principles envisaged during declaration of Independence in 1948. It was the same principles which Quaid-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on 11 August 1947 speech, addressed to constitution nominated Assembly delivered.The same were violated by his nominated PM Liaquat Ali Khan on 13 March, 1949 as Objective Resolution for which all Pakistanis are suffering.
Independence Hall as it appears today
Status in Israeli law[edit]
Independence Hall as it appears today
Paragraph 13 of the Declaration provides that the State of Israel would be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex;. However, the Knesset maintains that the declaration is neither a law nor an ordinary legal document.[30] The Supreme Court has ruled that the guarantees were merely guiding principles, and that the declaration is not a constitutional law making a practical ruling on the upholding or nullification of various ordinances and statutes.[31]
In 1994 the Knesset amended two basic laws, Human Dignity and Liberty and Freedom of Occupation, introducing (among other changes) a statement saying "the fundamental human rights in Israel will be honored (...) in the spirit of the principles included in the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel."
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Feb 16, 2015 11:55am
@Thiru maybe, and I dont mind they give even more,as long as Kashmiri people are put out of their suffering under Indian brutal occupation and they are free.
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Feb 16, 2015 11:56am
@rodent It will achieve, Kashmir being free from Indian occupation and yes, nothing for India.
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Feb 16, 2015 11:57am
@rodent Stop lecturing on subjects your own country needs to address. Its Kashmir and only Kashmir. Dont like it, dont come here to whine!
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Feb 16, 2015 12:01pm
@rodent You have spoken your mind. Pakistan is still ahead of India in any field despite conspiracies by India. If you want peace;
1-withdraw from Kashmir and let the people decide their future;,
2-refrain from patronizing,funding,training the miscreants in Balochistan TTP and TTA;
3-adopt the policy of live and let the others live;
4-leave the Akhand Bharat fobia;
5-forget the idea of leading the region as a power respect the neighbors,whatsoever its size is;
6-set aside the hegemony designs;
7-Time has changed and it is not 1970-71 era.
8-Pakistan is a nuke state and its use is better known to its stratists.
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Feb 16, 2015 12:16pm
Now Pakistan should follow the instruction of their masters USA to stop terrorism in India and seat on table to give Kashmir which was illegally captured by them since years back to India.
Kashmir's growth, peace and progress lies with India and people of Kashmir want their land back to merge with the greatest and biggest democracy of the world India.
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Feb 16, 2015 12:31pm
So depended on backup ! Why always a US certificate so needed, don't we understand it by ourself ? Difference btwn an aid receiver n an investment receiver I guess!
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Feb 16, 2015 12:45pm
@gee indian text books are worse.........and so is Indian media....
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Feb 16, 2015 12:49pm
As long as mistrust and arch rivalry exists between two countries no hope of serious and constructive dialogues in near future. Now both countries are acting under US pressure. ISI and RAW are doing their job effectively. India is meddling Baluchistan and Pakistan perfectly acting their role in Kashmir and these so called dialogues/cricket/sari/mango diplomacy and secretary level talks will be meaningless. A small incident against any countries interest by other country will stall all dialogue process then the things are again the same place where it started and it will become a joke. Either shut up or put up, take a bold decision by both countries bilaterally and limit american role in south Asia or cut all the relation between two countries forever like north Korea and south Korea.
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Feb 16, 2015 01:02pm
Kashmir is and will remain the thorn of contention unless India acccepts to resolve the problem for the benefit of Kashmiris and not continue its atrocities towards them. Piling up heaps of propaganda against Pakistan will never make India the "Big Brother" that it wants to be and pose itself an alternative to China in front of the West. Its primary agenda in Afghanistan is to destabilise Pakistan through proxy war. If Pakistan did not benefit the same in Kashmir, India will surely not in parts of Pakistan. Their foreign policy in Afghanistan will NOT work unless it sincerely embraces Pakistan for the sake of peoples of two countries. Yes, India has bigger economy but it still reels with huge poverty and derogatory caste systems, what to mention of recently upstaged "rightist hindu" agenda that wishes to convert all muslims and christians by force. Listen to what Obama said in his concluding remarks. So the early India resolves Kashmir issue the better it is for India.
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Feb 16, 2015 01:09pm
Why does US interfere in Indo-Pak bilateral issues?
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Feb 16, 2015 01:20pm
Dear Uncle Sam, 'You ain't know nothing'. Nothing has changed till now so nothing will change in foreseeable future. Understanding underlying cause for tension between India and Pakistan is not your cup of coffee old dude.
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Feb 16, 2015 01:27pm
US and the West should stay away from the two countries, that would be the best thing for relationship normalisation.
India has to givevup its hatred against Pakistan , before things could be normalize.
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Feb 16, 2015 01:47pm
thats the 3rd time that India is extending a hand of friendship from Modi government.
The first was to invite for swearing in, the second was foreign secretary talks which were cancelled. Now Pakistan called the new foreign secreatry and requested for a dialogue. Hope Pak does not do something funny or this visit will also get cancelled and then Pak will have to rub its nose in the ground to get another chance. Everytime a meeting is arrnged Pakistan does something to make sure it does not succeed.
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Feb 16, 2015 01:48pm
So, will Pakistan follow the instruction of USA?
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Feb 16, 2015 01:50pm
US should actively and continuously help the India-Pakistan dialogue process until success is achieved
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Feb 16, 2015 01:51pm
@Logic There is not even a single word against pakistan or against a particular community in our text books.I can gaurantee you that.
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Feb 16, 2015 01:53pm
Modi has played a smart move by appointing special perssonel for dealing with SAARC. India wants to increase its footprint in SAARC.
India is developing close economic ties like electric power sharing with its neighbours. Soon ppl will see good results.
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Feb 16, 2015 02:17pm
why? better for who? but not better for pakistan.
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Feb 16, 2015 02:28pm
@gee Agree. Pak need to reform the school books from hate content which found its way under Zia islamization programme. Text books filled with religious intolerance,hatred for other faiths and twisted historical facts ,if continued unabated , it not only effect peace with india , even pak efforts to eliminate terrorism will not yield desired result. For every single terrorist the state eliminates, there would be 2 terrorist taking birth in some madrass in some part of Pakistan.
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Feb 16, 2015 02:44pm
@Akki one word-Obama. Leave it that.
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Feb 16, 2015 02:46pm
@Harish Bansal good script, from which Bollywood movie, this one. Any good songs to go with it.!
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Feb 16, 2015 02:47pm
@Shashank because, it's not bilateral anymore. India evading for 44 years. Now US and UN will nvolve.
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Feb 16, 2015 03:42pm
@zak Only in your dreams , wake up and see reality , first save yourself and then think about anything else.
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Feb 16, 2015 03:43pm
If serious, Obama should start his campaign for the region from the point reached by J.F. Kennedy between him, Ayub and Nehru !
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Feb 16, 2015 03:49pm
@zak Keep whining for the rest of your life and do nothing else , good for you .
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Feb 16, 2015 03:56pm
@Zak Are you human or a broken record , looks like you are parrotted to say one thing only .
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Feb 16, 2015 04:44pm
@Dwaraka nath no i dont think so that Pakistanis would like to be with india
because india cant even give security to their women..every day and in every new second there is a new rape case..so i think we can suffer every thing but not the rape cases with each and every girl.
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Feb 16, 2015 04:48pm
"US terms Pak-India ties critical for regional peace" True on the outside.
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Feb 16, 2015 05:00pm
@zak we must free occupied Balochistan before pointing the finger at India
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Feb 16, 2015 05:22pm
@G O Gujjar Gujjar Your statement applies better to your own country as you stay there and know what is the ground reality.
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Feb 16, 2015 05:30pm
@Abbas Ali Yes Pakistan has nothing but love for India.
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Feb 16, 2015 05:34pm
@Syed Ganga Din : Anything critical for the US is a compulsion for all subservient let alone the shoe-laces !
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Feb 16, 2015 05:41pm
Of Course USA wants peace between Pakistan and India. But US must understand that for this to go forward there must be a peace within Pakistan. Even if India wanted peace with and within Pakistan, its citizens especially on on the corridors of power feels threatened. Peace is next to impossible!
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Feb 16, 2015 05:49pm
@Ahmed USA ... very well said... if your neighbor house is on fire please help them to put it out... if you don't the chances are your own house could be next...
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Feb 16, 2015 05:56pm
@rodent Pal the toy in question is in a limbo as per united nation's charter...it does not belong to anyone... why cant we be civilized like Canada or UK and hold a referendum and decide once and for all... This obsession is two sided... what ever is for the goose is for gander as well..It is difficult to understand these people who democratically take part in elections and a referendum, but are then incapable of democratically accepting the will of the people.
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Feb 16, 2015 06:08pm
Now Pak will happy...Today no country in the world pressurize india on any issues...they may be request who india may accept or not,...but not pressurize...No doubt there should be a piece in the region for development...but india will never compromise on kashmir... there is a nationalist wind...they choose war instead of compromise...the best way is accept LoC as IB...
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Feb 16, 2015 06:15pm
@Zak What will US and UN do , why not China too, use some head they cannot do anything , they are not able to solve the mess in pakistan which threatens them and the world.
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Feb 16, 2015 06:17pm
@zak And Kashmiri will want to join pakistan because ?
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Feb 16, 2015 06:18pm
@Zak Where is Kashmir mentioned,,??
Anyway if this is what gives you happiness feel free to assume anything. Trade, Security Development is what India will bring to table. If all are up for it- good, else we are doing fine without any talks.
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Feb 16, 2015 06:22pm
@zak This is what you believe. For us its not in top 10 priority list. Do what you can do. I can sense who is whining for last 67 years and many more to come.
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Feb 16, 2015 06:45pm
US should also term solution of Kashmir as important in bringing two nuclear armed closer to good relationship
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Feb 16, 2015 06:59pm
@Shashank :Because neither India nor Pakistan follow what Gandhi Ji had advised about resolution of disputes between neighbors.
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Feb 16, 2015 09:40pm
@Sumit Chaudhary: Pride is the biggest of all vices !
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Feb 17, 2015 02:09am
@lunar with India, what else is there, other than one issue, nothing.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:13am
@Whatisinname pakistan does, India does not.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:17am
@Sumit Chaudhary that's why US decided to stop 67 years of kashmiri suffering under indian occupation. Next 2 will see resolution.
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Feb 17, 2015 05:57am
@Zak Yes keep hoping as you have nothing else but hope
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