ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday said Pakistan wanted peace with all nations, specially its neighbours, and claimed that efforts were being made to improve the living standard of the people by attracting foreign investment.
He was talking to a visiting media delegation representing reputable Malaysian newspapers and agencies which called on him at the Prime Minister’s house.
Sketching a brief picture of the country’s foreign policy, the premier said Pakistan enjoyed good relations with all the nations.
Mr Aziz said Pakistan had strong diplomatic, cultural and strategic relations with China, and also enjoyed close friendly ties with Iran.
Pakistan, he said, was extending all possible assistance in rebuilding Afghanistan, while dialogue with India was underway to resolve all outstanding issues including the core issue of Kashmir.
The prime minister said peace process with India was irreversible and there was hope of more progress.
Both Pakistan and India need to be more flexible to resolve the Kashmir dispute according to the wishes of the Kashmiris, he added.
Deliberating on the domestic front, Mr Aziz said Pakistan had achieved a growth rate of 8.4 per cent and the highest amount of foreign direct investment last year.
He claimed that the middle class was flourishing, and manufacturing and exports were going up. He said structural reforms which had been carried out in the social as well as the financial sectors had been far reaching.