Pakistan committed to improving ties with India: Abdul Basit

Says if both sides have the will, then issues such as poverty, illiteracy and disease can be resolved

NEW DELHI: As India continued violation of the Line of Control by resorting to ‘unprovoked’ firing along the Line of Control (LOC) near Nezapir Sector of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan’s top diplomat in New Delhi said that ties between the two nuclear-tipped neighbours can improve if they have the “will,” Radio Pakistan reported.

“We hope relations between the two countries will improve,” said Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit after meeting the Imam of Fatehpuri Masjid in the capital on Eidul Fitr.

He added that if ties improve, then they could focus on more pressing issues, noting that there was “if both sides have the will, there is no reason our issues such as poverty, illiteracy and disease cannot be resolved.”

“Pakistan is always committed to improve ties to resolve the issues.”

His comments came as tensions between the two countries heightened in the days after an hour-long meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Ufa, Russia on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting.

India and Pakistan are also reportedly involved in a ‘visa  war’ with both sides accusing each other of not issuing assignment visas to their diplomats and officials.

With additional input from Indian Express

India claims that Pakistan has not issued visas to its 12 officials including to a military attaché. Pakistan, on the other hand, has said it has recently issued several assignment visas to Indian officials but none were issued by India.