Islamabad wants peaceful relations with New Delhi: Pak envoy

NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s High Commissioner in India Sohail Mehmood has said that Pakistan wanted to establish and maintain peaceful relations on the basis of equality and mutual respect with all its neighbours including India.

Talking to gathering present at a ceremony marking 78th Pakistan Day in Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi, Sohail Mehmood further said that Pakistan wanted to resolve all the outstanding issues, including Kashmir, through dialogue. He stressed India to come forward and help Pakistan to resolve all the issues to maintain good and peaceful relations for the progress of both the nations.

Sohail Mehmood said that Pakistan has worked hard in last few years to curb terrorism from its soil. He specially mentioned operation Zarb Azb and Radd ul Fassad and said that Pakistan is determined to eliminate terrorism from the region.

The day in the High Commission was started with flag hoisting ceremony, afterwards, Sohail Mehmood read out the special messages of the president and prime minister of Pakistan.

Students of Pakistani High Commission school sang national songs and presented tableau on the freedom movement.

Later, wife of the high commissioner, Begum Mehwish, distributed gifts to the children.

Sohail Mahmood, who had been recalled to Pakistan following repeated incidents of Indian secret agencies harassing Pakistani diplomatic staff and their families, returned to India Thursday night to host the celebrations of Pakistan Day.

Sohail Mahmood was recalled to Pakistan after the situation in New Delhi became increasingly hostile for the Pakistani diplomatic staff and according to earlier reports, it was not possible for the high commissioner to operate out of New Delhi under the current circumstances. Children of Pakistan’s deputy high commissioner were stopped by the agents of an India secret service for 40 minutes on a Delhi road.

Tensions between the two countries have been already running high because of frequent clashes between the Pakistani and Indian troops along the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary.

Earlier in 2002, the two countries recalled their respective high commissioners in the aftermath of an attack on the Indian parliament in December 2001.

It was India, which first withdrew its envoy as a token of protest over Pakistan’s failure to stop alleged cross-border terrorism. New Delhi then expelled Pakistani High Commissioner Ashraf Jahangir Qazi.