ISLAMABAD, July 28: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Thursday that recent statements of Indian leadership were disappointing and not conducive to the spirit of amity between the two countries. Talking to newsmen at the Prime Minister’s House on Thursday, after presenting cheques for Rs500,000 to the heirs of each of the two journalists who were killed in South Waziristan early this year, the prime minister said South Asia needed peace and stability and Pakistan was endeavouring to achieve this end.

To achieve the objective of peace, he said, Pakistan-India relations needed to be normalized and Pakistan desired to resolve all problems with India through dialogue. The prime minister said Kashmir was the core issue between the two countries and had to be resolved in accordance with the wishes of the people of Kashmir.

When asked about the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s decision to launch a ‘decisive’ movement against President Pervez Musharraf in association with other opposition parties, Mr Aziz said six to seven movements had been launched in the past and “let the opposition try another”. However, the prime minister added, any political activity must remain within the precincts of national interests.

He said the government and President Musharraf would continue their efforts to take Pakistan on the path of democracy and economic progress. He said under the democratic system, MMA and all other parties had the right to express their viewpoints.

Responding to a question regarding negative reports about Pakistan in foreign media in respect of incidents of terrorism, the prime minister said: “It is the duty of the national press to put things in their right perspective and project national image to confront such attitude.”

Pakistan, he said, opposed terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and was in the forefront of raising concerns over international terrorism and the entire world was united against such acts.

He asserted that the linking of terrorist acts with Islam presented a wrong image of the great religion which needed to be corrected through concerted media efforts. The premier said that Pakistan was against terrorism also because of the fact that thousands of its workers were employed in various countries and sending remittances to their country.