Outcome of Indo-Pak meet more than expected, says Qureshi

Islamabad, Apr 30 (PTI) Pakistan Friday described the
outcome of the latest Indo-Pak talks as more than expected and
a step in the right direction, and said efforts will be made
to build on it to bridge the trust deficit between the two
countries.
A day after India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met his
Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani in Bhutan and broke
the ice, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said
he intends to establish contact with India's External Affairs
Minister S M Krishna as soon as the Indian Parliament's
budgetary session concludes on May 7.
He said there was no need to accord any nomenclature like
'composite dialogue' to the talks that would be held shortly,
but the intent is to discuss all outstanding issues like
Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek and water sharing.
"If all issues are to be discussed, whether you call it
comprehensive dialogue, composite dialogue.. or whatever you
want, that is not important. The spirit behind that is
important, the spirit is right," he said at a press conference
here.
India's Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao had Thursday
stated that nomenclatures were not important. Islamabad, which
has been insisting on resuming the composite dialogue, now
appears to have dropped the demand.
Qureshi said the Indian Foreign Secretary was "very
positive" on the talks during her press meet Thursday.
Referring to the meeting between Singh and Gilani,
Qureshi said the outcome has been "more than expected... it is
a step in the right direction, a concrete development and we
will build on it".
He pointed out that there has been a trust deficit
between India and Pakistan and "we have to bridge it through
confidence-building measures".
Acknowledging that the trust deficit cannot be bridged
overnight, Qureshi said: "we have to be realistic and
pragmatic. It will not happen in a day, it is a process. If we
allow the process to continue, obviously with passage of time,
the deficit will be narrowed down".
The two Foreign Ministers have been entrusted with the
task of reducing the trust deficit, he said.
Responding to a question, he said he could find many
faults in India's approach and vice versa but the two sides
needed to prevent further deterioration in ties. PTI AKK
MRD


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