India's High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria, while addressing a seminar in Islamabad, hoped that the relations between India and Pakistan will improve after the 2018 general elections.
"We hope that Pak-India relations will improve following the general elections in Pakistan," Bisaria said, adding that the two countries started facing strained relations since 1999.
"There has been a mutual contract to not harass diplomats from either side," the Indian high commissioner said while referring to the agreement which was announced through a statement simultaneously issued by the Foreign Office and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in March this year.
The statement reads: “India and Pakistan have mutually agreed to resolve matters related to the treatment of diplomats and diplomatic premises, in line with the 1992 ‘Code of Conduct’ for treatment of diplomatic/consular personnel in India and Pakistan.”
He also said that poverty is both countries' mutual enemy and that the people of both nations do not hate each other.
"The truth is that terrorist events hindered the talks between the two countries," he said while adding that the two countries need to take baby steps in order to make their relationship better.
Afghan envoy says Pakistan's policies created Taliban
Afghan Ambassador Dr Omar Zakhilwal alleged that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan used to be a part of the Afghan Taliban and they have benefitted from the policies of Pakistan government.
The allegations came during a heated argument with former Inter-Services Public Relations chief retired Maj Gen Ather Abbas at the seminar.
"Taliban have been in Pakistan and the TTP has held control of various areas of the country," the Afghan envoy alleged, adding that even the "Lal Masjid was once under the Taliban's control".
Responding to the Afghan envoy's remarks, Abbas remarked that Pakistan has never tried to influence the Afghan government.
"Pakistan has always tried to broker peace through political operations," he asserted.
"Pakistan has dealt with its fair share of problems, just like Afghanistan," Gen Abbas said while adding that the "Afghan conflict has directly affected Pakistan and its people".