Pakistan wants result-oriented dialogue with India: Aziz

Published August 7, 2015
Speaking on current political situation in Afghanistan, PM's Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz emphasised that Pakistan believes in an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. - Reuters/File
Speaking on current political situation in Afghanistan, PM's Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz emphasised that Pakistan believes in an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. - Reuters/File

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister's Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said on Friday that Pakistan wants result-oriented dialogue with India on all issues of mutual concern including the core issue of Kashmir.

Speaking at the 22nd Ministerial Meeting of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Aziz maintained that Pakistan pursues a policy of good relations with all the neighbouring countries.

Repeating Pakistan’s resolve to fight terrorism, he claimed that the country’s valiant forces are successfully demolishing the terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan.

Aziz expressed deep concern at the increasing threats to regional peace and stability in the Middle East, apparently in the wake of recent terror attacks in Saudi Arabia and the war in Syria and Iraq.

Speaking on current political situation in Afghanistan, the Adviser emphasised that Pakistan believes in an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

Read Pakistan reaffirms commitment to Afghan peace process

It must be remembered that Pakistan had hosted a meeting was hosted between the Afghan Government and Afghan Taliban representatives in Murree on 7 July 2015 along with the representatives from China and USA.

The participants were duly mandated by their respective leadership and expressed their collective desire to bring peace to Afghanistan and the region.

The second round of the talks, which was scheduled to be held in Pakistan on 31 July 2015 was postponed in view of the reports regarding the death of Mulla Omar and the leadership crisis among Taliban.

On the sidelines of ARF Ministerial Meeting, the Adviser held bilateral meetings with the Foreign Ministers of China, Turkey, Japan, lndonesia, Malaysia, DPR Korea and Norway in which he held wide-ranging discussions including the issues of peace and security in the Asia Pacific region and ways and means to tackle traditional and non-traditional security challenges.

New Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in his first audio message released August 1 has given mixed signals about the peace process while vowing to continue jihad to implement Shariah and Islamic system.

Pakistan condemns US drone strike in NWA

Pakistan today also condemned a United States (US) drone strike in the Lawara Mandi area of North Waziristan Agency on 06 August 2015 which resulted in a number of casualties.

A statement issued by Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah condemned such strikes terming them a ‘disregard of our territorial sovereignty and international law’.

Read: US drone strike kills five 'militants' in North Waziristan

While reiterating Pakistan’s call for cessation of such strikes, the statement says that these events also generate distrust among the local populace.

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