MUSCAT – Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Tuesday denied any communication gap with India on the resolution of the Kashmir dispute and other outstanding issues, asking New Delhi not to hold the dialogue process hostage to the Mumbai incident.
Talking to reporters, Gilani said, “The impression should be dispelled that there is a lack of communication [between Pakistan and India],” adding however that there was a lack of trust. Mentioning his talks with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh during which Gilani had told Singh that one incident should not be allowed to hold the dialogue process down, the prime minister said Pakistan wanted resumption of dialogue with India to resolve all the outstanding issues.
He said the resolution of Kashmir issue was vital for regional stability, adding that Pakistan wished to discuss all core issues including Kashmir, and India too had agreed upon it. On the presence of terrorist groups along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Gilani said both countries realised that they were victims of a common enemy. “We should combat terrorism with a joint strategy.
The NATO forces and the ISAF are working in consultation with Pakistan and Afghanistan to jointly combat terrorism.” To a question regarding the issue of terrorism, Gilani said the government was following the policy of dialogue, development and deterrence and was moving in the right direction to curb the menace.
He said the terrorists being “timid people” were hitting soft targets but had now lost stronghold in the areas.
