Qureshi wants result-oriented agenda for his India visit

PAK-QURESHI

Ajay Kaul
New Delhi, Aug 15 (PTI) Responding to External Affairs
Minister S M Krishna's invitation to visit India, Pakistan
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has made it clear that
he would accept it if the talks are to be "result-oriented",
covering all issues of importance, including Kashmir.
He stressed the need for "positive and constructive
approach" after his July 15 talks with Krishna ended on a
bitter note, particularly on Kashmir and terrorism emanating
from Pakistan.
"I am grateful to Mr Krishna for inviting me to visit
New Delhi. The visit has to be purposeful and result oriented
during which all issues of mutual concern should be
discussed," Qureshi told PTI in an email interview.
He was responding when asked about Krishna's invitation
to visit India for talks which is still under consideration of
Pakistan.
Queried whether he had any expectations from India before
deciding on coming to India, Qureshi said, "the discussions
during the visit have to cover all issues of importance and
should be meaningful and result-oriented."
He said Pakistan is ready to walk the "extra mile" as it
wants to "move forward" in building relations with India but
insisted that the two countries need to be "mutually
accommodative".
Pressing for a "comprehensive and sustained" engagement,
he maintained that Kashmir issue would have to be the part of
any discussions and "selective" approach would not be helpful.
Asked whether the efforts to bridge the trust gap had
received a serious blow during his July 15 talks with Krishna,
Qureshi said, "It is true that we have not been able to map
the future course of engagement. This, however, does not mean
that we have reached a cul de sac."
He said there is a mutual desire on both sides, at the
highest political level, to engage and talk.
"We need to be mutually accommodative. As in India, there
is also democracy in Pakistan. We cannot overlook our public
opinion, which on some core issues is quite strong," he said.
Disfavouring any "selective" approach, he said, "as you
would know, we have been discussing Kashmir. It is nothing new
that we brought up."
He was responding when asked whether Pakistan would not
like to have any talks with India unless Kashmir is on the
agenda as it has been terming it as its "core issue".
Pakistan wants to engage with India "in accordance with
the Thimphu spirit", he said referring to the meeting of Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf
Raza Gilani in the Bhutanese capital on April 29 when they
agreed that the two countries should work to reduce trust
deficit.
"In Pakistan, we would like to see our relations with
India move forward. Let us work together," he said. (MORE) PTI
AKK
KAB


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