ISLAMABAD, March 24: Pakistan wants to resume deadlocked peace talks with India in a composite dialogue to settle all disputes between the two countries and will welcome a helping role by China.

This was stated by Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri in a Dawn Dialogue interview in Islamabad during which he also said: “In view of the losses suffered by the two countries because of high defence spending, there was a duty on the leadership in India and Pakistan to not just adopt cynical and self-serving policies but to go beyond.”

Asked whether Pakistan’s position on Iraq, which was not in line with the US view, would impair its relations with the Bush administration, Mr Kasuri said: “We hope not,” stressing that Pakistan would take a principled stand on all international issues.

“As a superpower, US actions have global implications and we expect from the United States a greater restraint than what other major powers are expected to show,” he said.