LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has expressed the hope that ties with India will improve after President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit and said that ‘a fresh team’ will carry forward bilateral talks to resolve the outstanding issues, including Kashmir.
Talking to reporters at his residence here on Sunday, he said although President Zardari’s visit was unofficial but when a head of state went to another country the visit became official. The positive outcome was that relations between the two countries had moved forward.
“If Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh comes to Pakistan on President Zardari’s invitation it will help strengthen ties between the two countries and bring stability to the region,” he said.
The prime minister said there had been some progress in the balance of trade with India.
Dispelling a perception that China was not pleased with growing India-Pakistan trade relations, the prime minister said that China was fully supporting trade between the two countries because it was also in their interest. Our friend China said that only the enemy of Pakistan would stop it from doing trade with India.
He said the trade between the two countries would be of benefit to the people of both sides.
“Apart from India, there has been major breakthrough in trade with China, Iran and Afghanistan as well,” he said.
Mr Gilani said the leadership of the two countries should work for peace and stability in the region.
“Dr Manmohan Singh and I are committed to bringing stability to the region. We have met many times earlier and our resolve is to take every possible step towards peace and stability,” the prime minister said.
Mr Gilani brushed aside harsh statements made by some opposition leaders, especially the PML-N, against his government’s efforts to improve relations with India. “Nawaz Sharif wants good relations with India. The opposition and the people want it too. In fact my government has a mandate to have good ties with India. The army should be with us in this regard,” he said.
Responding to a question about the reported closure of ISI’s political wing, the prime minister said the ISI should have no role in politics.
Mr Gilani does not see Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed as an obstruction to better ties between India and Pakistan. “Yes Saeed is an issue between the two countries but we need substantial evidence against him,” he said, adding that the courts were independent and without substantial evidence the government could not proceed against him.
He said Nawaz Sharif had asked him about the government’s stance on Hafiz Saeed after a bounty had been placed on him.
He said the interior secretaries of the two countries would meet on April 16 to discuss this matter.
About the government’s failure to rein in banned religious outfits and prevent them from fanning extremism, the prime minister said he had ordered action against all proscribed organisations.
Regarding Monday’s energy conference in Lahore, the prime minister said preference would be given suggestions of experts and stakeholders.
Mr Gilani said that former ambassador Hussain Haqqani should get the same treatment as given by the judicial commission to an “enemy-foreigner (Mansoor Ijaz)”.
“If Ijaz can record his statement via video-conferencing why Mr Haqqani is not allowed to do so,” he asked. He also said that Mansoor Ijaz had insulted parliament by not appearing before its committee investigating the memo case.
