India asked to return to negotiations

Islamabad: Pakistan yesterday expressed dismay over India's unwillingness to return to the bilateral composite dialogue process to resolve all outstanding issues.

Foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said Pakistan wanted proper negotiations so that long-standing disputes between the two countries could be resolved.

Referring to the recent foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries held last week in New Delhi, he said Pakistan had presented proposals for future engagement and it was now for New Delhi to respond.

Basit said there was no point in having talks for the sake of talks and therefore further engagements at foreign secretary-level alone would not serve any purpose.

In response to a question, he said the United States, like other friendly countries, had been helpful in encouraging both Pakistan and India to resolve the longstanding issue of Kashmir peacefully through dialogue.

About Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Saudi Arabia, he said Pakistan had close relations with the kingdom and there was immense mutual confidence and trust. "It does not mean that India cannot have relationship with Saudi Arabia," he said.

"Pakistan is not worried about Indian prime minister's recent visit to Saudi Arabia," the spokesman said.

The spokesman confirmed that four Pakistani nationals were shot down in Kandahar in Afghanistan by some unknown gunmen.

They were working for the Japanese company Saita.

He identified the victims as Wazir Khan from Mianwali, Mohammad Khan from Chakwal, Asghar Ali from Sialkot and Mazhar Hussain from Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

The spokesman said their families had been informed and their bodies were being brought home.

The Pakistan Embassy in Kabul is in touch with the Afghan authorities to get the killers arrested and brought to book as well as for enhancement of security and protection for Pakistani nationals in Afghanistan.