LD QURESHI 2

Qureshi said Pakistan wants an intensive dialogue
between the South Asian neighbours without any conditions.

"It doesn't take much genius to understand that
terrorists threats require more intensive dialogue between
South Asian neighbours, accompanied by a sincerity of purpose
and resolving disputes rather than pauses and
conditionalities," he said.

As the region is facing serious threat from terrorism,
he said that it makes no sense that instead of pooling their
resources to fight terrorism, they squander these to threaten
the other.

"Instinctive reactions, coupled with hasty and
unsubstantiated accusations, strengthen the very forces that
we profess to defeat," he said.

"It is fine to move beyond the rhetoric. Each country
has to stand up to terrorism and be counted. Cold War
calculations to gain short-term advantages have no relevance
in these times. Long-term interests of all countries of the
region lie in promoting stability and work towards socio-
economic uplift of the people of the region," Qureshi said.

In response to a question, Qureshi said the Indo-US
civilian nuclear deal is discriminatory.

"And when you sign agreements that are discriminatory
in nature it does not help," he said in direct reference to
the civilian nuclear deal with India, which was signed by the
then US President George W Bush last year. MORE PTI