Manmohan for 'Constructive Dialogue' on Kashmir Issue
Pakistan Times Foreign Desk Report

NEW DELHI (India): Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Friday said that India was committed to resolve all outstanding issues with Pakistan including Kashmir dispute through constructive dialogue.

He was responding to a question about Indo-Pak peace process after his keynote address at the two-day Leadership Initiative conclave, organized by leading Indian daily “The Hindustan Times” on “India and the world: a blueprint for partnership and growth” here.

The Prime Minister said, Pakistan had made a commitment in January 6 joint statement, issued after meeting between President Pervez Musharraf and former Indian Prime Minster Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Islamabad that it would not allow its territory to be used for what New Delhi calls; 'cross-border terrorism.'

Ifs and Buts

If that is honoured, India will resolve all outstanding issues with Pakistan including Jammu and Kashmir through constructive dialogue, he expressed adding, “we are committed to make honest and sincere efforts to resolve all outstanding issues with Pakistan.”

The Conclave

The Conclave will be addressed by President of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, former Prime Minister of United Kingdom, John Major, former US secretary of state, Dr Henry Kissinger, Chairman Pakistan Tehrike-Insaaf Imran Khan, founder and leader of Mutahida Qaumi Movement Altaf Hussain, former Director General IAEC Dr Hans Blix, Indian Foreign Minister K Natwar Singh, Foreign Minister of Thailand, Dr Surakiart Sathirathai, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Indian Finance Minister P Chidambaram and others.

South Asia is subcontinent of great activities and potentials but due to certain problems, the Prime Minister viewed, these could not be exploited and utilized properly.

The region can be changed beyond recognition and converted into an oasis of economic and social development and prosperity through negotiated settlement of issues, he observed.

Threats of Terrorism

Maintaining that India is committed to work with the international community to make the world a safer place to live in, the Prime Minister said that it will cooperate with the world community to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and deal with the threat of terrorism.

India, he continued would pursue energy security within a cooperative framework working with other countries to ensure security of oil supplies, of pipelines and sea-lanes of communication.

Dr Manmohan Singh further said, “ we will continue to strengthen our wide-ranging and many-sided relationship with the United States, European Union and Russia”.

Idea of India

Emphasizing on engaging the world through the “idea of India”, he said the idea is that even if nations may clash with one another, cultures and civilizations can co-exist. The defining features of 21st century is not that it will be marked by a “clash of civilizations”, but that it will be shaped by a “confluence of civilizations”.

The world community, he said, has been actively engaged in a recent years in dealing with the perceived threat of globalization and of political extremism in its various manifestations, ranging from ethnic cleansing to jehadism.

There are no military solutions to such challenges. There are no unilateral solutions either. Any meaningful solution must be based on the principles of democratic pluralism and inclusivism, the respect of the rule of law and diversity of opinion and faith.

“We seek mutually beneficial relations with all our Asian neighbours and will work closely with Asia to realize our combined aspiration to make the 21st century an Asian century”.

Neighbourhood of Peace

The Prime Minister further said, “we want a neighbourhood of peace and shared prosperity in which people, goods, and services can travel with ease across borders. South Asia must regain its pre-eminence in the global economy as a sub-continent of creativity and enterprise.

Sonia Gandhi on Kashmir

Expressing hope that Kashmir issue would be resolved, Congress President Ms Sonia Gandhi Friday said the Indo-Pak dialogue process was continuing and "we are going to see this continues and works towards finding a solution to our problem".

Responding to a question after her address at the Leadership Initiative Conclave, organized by Indian Daily The Hindustan Times, said her party had encouraged the previous government to enter a dialogue with Pakistan.

In response to another query as what went on in her mind when she renounced Prime Ministership but said her aim was never to occupy the high position, Gandhi said she would have to write two chapters to lift the veil in the matter and quipped "you will have to wait for that book".

Of her Aim

The Congress Chief maintained her aim was not to occupy the Prime Minister's chair but strengthen the Congress and in doing so, defeat the "anti-secular" forces which were in the government.

Sonia Gandhi earlier dismissed Opposition's charge that she was the "power behind the throne" in the Manmohan Singh Government saying similar insinuations were hurled at her even when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister.

"I am not power behind the throne. I do not wish to be power behind the throne", Gandhi said replying to questions and added such suggestions were "not something that has happened just now. When Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister, I was supposed to have sacked Ministers, brought new ones..."

Gandhi, who is also UPA Chairperson, said that she "does not look at government files or takes government decisions".

Pakistan-India discuss issues of bilateral Interest

Pakistan and India Friday discussed issues of bilateral interest and agreed to expedite the release of held fishermen, after completion of legal formalities.

The discussions were held here at Ministry of Interior between Minister for Interior Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and Indian High Commissioner Shivshankar Menon in Islamabad.

The Topics

They discussed a number of issues of bilateral interest with special emphasis on the release of fishermen held in the two countries.

It was agreed that release of held fishermen will be expedited after the completion of legal formalities.●