Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday said it expects that the long-stalled composite dialogue with India would be resumed under the incoming government in the neighbouring country.
“When the new government takes over in India, realising the importance of having peace in the neighbourhood, the dialogue process between Pakistan and India will resume,” Pakistan foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said.
Aslam said Islamabad wants uninterrupted dialogue with India, which is meaningful and constructive, with a view to resolving the outstanding issues between the two countries so that “this region can have durable peace”
Aslam, who was speaking at a media briefing, said Pakistan hopes that the kind of atmosphere that prevailed during the election rallies in India “will be left behind us” after Narendra Modi is sworn-in as prime minister.
She said the invitation to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Indian chief executive was received on Wednesday afternoon.
“Whether the Prime Minister Sharif would attend or not will be decided sometime today (Thursday),” the spokesperson said, adding it was normal practice that if the head of the government has some preoccupations, he/she can nominate somebody else to represent.
“So, that’s a normal thing. It is not against protocol and niceties in any way.” she said.
If and when a meeting takes place between Sharif and Modi, it will probably be the first meeting between the two.
“They have not met in the past. They will get to know each other and leaders try to establish a rapport where they can get down to discussing serious issues,” Aslam said.
Obviously, issues related to Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, water, trade, economic relations, transnational crime, terrorism and people to people contact will come come up for discussion, the spokesperson said.
