Nawaz Sharif shaking hands with British Foreign Secretary in London. PHOTO: PID
LONDON: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday stressed in his meetings with British officials that resolution of Kashmir dispute through dialogue was imperative for regional peace while peace in Afghanistan was important for stability in Pakistan.
Nawaz met with a number of high ranking British officials on Wednesday including Foreign Secretary William Hague, Home Secretary Theresa May and British Secretary of Department for International Development Justine Greening in separate meetings.
He told media later that all issues including Kashmir came under discussion during his talks with Prime MInister David Cameron earlier.
In his meeting with Hague, Nawaz said that six decades of mutual mistrust between Pakistan and India had resulted in enhanced defence spending at the expense of their social sectors.
The tit-for-tat policy, Nawaz said, must end now so that conditions of the people of the two countries could be ameliorated, adding that they were keen to resolve all outstanding issues with India through dialogue.
However, he added that the resolution of Kashmir issue was possible only when all the three stakeholders - Pakistan, India, and Kashmiris - were on board.
Nawaz also expressed his appreciation of the continuity of British Government’s support to resolve outstanding issues between Pakistan and India.
With the UK in its first month of the last major deployment to Afghanistan ahead of the NATO pull out date of 2014, issues pertaining region came into discussion issues. Nawaz said peace in Afghanistan is vital for peace and stability in Pakistan.
The premier said that during his meetings he offered all possible support for bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan and stressed for an effective border management system on the British instituted Durand Line on Pakistan’s western frontier. Nawaz said that better management was needed to curb cross border infiltration.
Hague welcomed Pakistan’s approach of reconciliation towards resolving all outstanding issues with India and Afghanistan through dialogue.
During his meeting with May, Nawaz said that the government of Pakistan was determined to root out extremism and terrorism from the country. He added that Pakistan did not want the soil of either Pakistan or Afghanistan to be used against each other by alien enemies.
Nawaz said relations with the United Kingdom were on the positive trajectory. He pointed out that the British Prime Minister declared Pakistan's enemy as enemy of his country.
British Secretary of Department for International Development Justine Greening also called on Nawaz and discussed education‚ development and economic reforms agenda of Pakistan.
The Prime Minister informed the Secretary that the Government of Pakistan Is committed to allocate more resources for the education sector and is determined to increase the education budget from two to four per cent during this tenure.
Nawaz was accompanied by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz, Minister of State for Commerce Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan, and Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, Acting Secretary to the Prime Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad, and Pakistan High Commissioner for UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan were present during the meeting.
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@Xnain: Yes, very true. We need to sit on negotiation table to resolve pok issue in order to avoid nuclear conflict.
Of course! dialogue is possible. However shutdown all terror factory camps on POK side and ensure no infiltration from Pskistan side to Indian side. Once this is done, slowly Indians will reduce army presence then no one can deny dialogue process and there will be peace in Kasmir as well as in the region!
@Xnain: Pakistan needs this burnol to be applied,as after all the hue and cry that drone is violating sovereignty- another strike killed three people.
"He pointed out that the British Prime Minister declared Pakistan’s enemy as enemy of his country."
Mian Sahab you must be kidding. Whole world knows who is Pakistan's enemy. Forget about British PM, no British leader will dare to make such statement. If this statement is published in Indian news papers this morning, expect a rebuttal to your statement from 10 Downing street before your leave London.
Mr. Prime Minister, please think about peace and stability of your country before you talk about the region.
@Francis D'souza: Modern Age Lesson 100: Diplomacy is far more effective than nuclear weapons. Pakistan is again internationalizing the issue, the more the issue gets internationalize, the more focus it gets and the more prominent Indian atrocities become you i(n)diot.
Why and how it is closed ? @Rajesh: how u forget that u Indians were freed only 65 yrs back. We are awake and chasing our target. Kashmir was, is and never will be part of India. India is wasting time and money. If still u don't understand then DARE to do free voting to knw wat kashmiri wants. The Indian state terrorism is exposing shameful Indian democracy.
History 101: "what you cannot win on the battlefield, can never be won on the negotiating table"
Even Indians are beginning to feel sorry for Mr. Nawaz sharif. It is unbearable to see him begging each and every Tom, Dik and Harry on the planet for "kashmir resolution".
He pointed out that the British Prime Minister declared Pakistan’s enemy as enemy of his country. Pakistan considers Pakistan’s enemy as strategic assets
@Xnain: "I smeel something burning deep within.If you guys need burnol, we can help.:P"
Why don't you ship all your Burnol supply to Quetta which is burning. Save it my friend. You need it every other day in Pakistan.
"However, he added that the resolution of Kashmir issue was possible only when all the three stakeholders – Pakistan, India, and Kashmiris – were on board." Prove your bonafides by purging all Punjabis settled in the part of Kashmir occupied by Pakistan - Gulam Kashmir! Remember, too, that "Kashmiris" do not mean only separatists in Srinagar. When you have done that, come back and we shall talk.
@ModiFied: @Rajesh: @Sherif: @Jay: @Indra: I smeel something burning deep within.If you guys need burnol, we can help.:P
@Hafiz Looks like Hafiz Saeed is your worst nightmare.:) @Topic "However, he added that the resolution of Kashmir issue was possible only when all the three stakeholders – Pakistan, India, and Kashmiris – were on board." True indeed. India has been trying to keep Kashmiries out of the loop. They are the most important party to the dispute and Kashmir issue must be resolved according to their free wishes.
Why does ET use the term Durrand Line? As a Pakistani media outlet they shouldn't be doing this and makes me question ET's motives. This is why Pakistanis in general hate liberals and I myself am moderate left.
PoK must be free from pak army. problem solved.
Gloves are off and Mian Sahab has started the same old tune. Indo-Pak peace talks anything closer bye bye. India media had already exposed the Pakistan' Kashmir policy when Mian Sahab took over the office. All actors are playing assigned games. India has no options but harden her Pakistan policy.
Forget kashmir, it is a closed chapter.
We can also include balochistan human rights violation on table.One of the world's worst human rights violation is happening in balochistan.
Your prime minister is the worst person to be trusted.One day he talk about peace and other day raising kashmir,one day he met our pm and later we saw kargil war.Even the snake can better trusted than this person.
Pakistans begging bowl should now be taken to China. Lol, cant face India straight..cause you'l get bullied badly.