India ready to hold talks with Pakistan, but in pleasant environment: envoy

Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale on Thursday said that his country is ready to restore dialogue process with Pakistan in a pleasant environment.

“We want to restore dialogue process with Pakistan, however, a better environment is necessary in this regard,” Bambawale told reporters at an event in the federal capital. He said that dialogue process should be held in such an atmosphere that it could be continued for a longer period of time.

Bambawale said Pakistan and India were about to resume the dialogue process but then the incident of Pathankot happened and it could not be restarted.

“There was no fair atmosphere left for holding talks after Pathankot attack,” the high commissioner maintained.

He said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Pakistan on December 25 last year and met his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif at his home in Lahore.

Bambawale added that comprehensive bilateral dialogue was scheduled to be held on January 15 but attack on Pathankot Airbase on January 2 this year changed the scenario completely.

The Indian high commissioner said that diplomats from both the side are working for creating such an environment where dialogue process can be resumed.

He added that India is ready to discuss all the issues with Pakistan. “All the bilateral issued will be discussed once the dialogue process is restored,” Bambawale said.

Both the countries should resume the sports activities as well, he added. “Pakistan and India should play hockey matches beside cricket as it will bring the people from both side much closer,” he suggested.