Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid says that due to some "unfortunate incidents" the process had faced a setback. PHOTO: FILE
"It is not good that we say everything right at the outset. The atmosphere is good at the moment. Let it improve further to be conducive for talks," said external affairs minister Salman Khurshid.
"Let (the new government in Pakistan) settle down and understand their job, then we can resume it. However, there are some issues on which both the government and people expect some progress, and we will get some satisfaction from it. Then things can move on smoothly from there."
The focus of the government right now is to resume sectoral dialogue which would help progress on certain issues, he said after addressing Congress workers at the PCC office.
"Our formulation at the moment is to start a sectoral dialogue. If there are any issues on which we can move forward, we will do that. There are some issues on which expecting some quick progress is not possible."
The external affairs minister stated that some confidence building measures are to be implemented by both the countries to further improve the atmosphere.
"Confidence building measures like the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status (to India) and the new visa regime that would enable more people to travel across the border had been decided earlier but have not been implemented yet. We can move forward one step at a time," Khurshid added.
The external affairs minister said that the composite dialogue with Pakistan had made good progress and was successful but due to some "unfortunate incidents" the process had faced a setback.
"Elections have taken place there under a democratic system and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, during his election campaign gave statements and hints, and reiterated them after assuming office. We seen them in positive light and we have responded accordingly," continued Khurshid.
Pakistan is considering importing electricity from India.
COMMENTS (16)
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@Manju: Actually Pakistan is ache only in India's head not in the other countries' heads just due to its stance/standpoint over Kashmir issue which India never wants to resolve on top priority basis as soon as possible and for which India is showing dishonesty and insincerity by wasting time and money on the useless and non-result-oriented fake peace talks and as usual India has been trying its best and utmost to defame Pakistan by accusing Pakistan of baseless allegations......
Mr Salman Khurshid seems to have realized that he started with undue alacrity because of his inexperience with foreign affairs and with Pakistan in particular. Personally, I am extremely doubtful that Mr Nawaz Sharif can deliver on his pre-election rhetoric of good relations with India. The moment he takes serious steps in that direction he shall probably be shown the door by the powers that be in Pakistan. Democracy in Pakistan is not only nascent it is also nominal. We shall soon know how far Mr Sharif can deliver in the matter of Gen Musharraf's trial for high treason. That would have raised the heckles in the army, whose generals would not like one of their own to be treated in such a brash manner. It is true that Gen Musharraf treated Mr Sharif badly but in politics one does not set out to settle scores as the main content of one's policies and actions. Let's see. V. C. Bhutani, Edinburgh, 29 Jun 2013, 1707 GMT
@ Mahadev: When in Pakistan, they are Arabs and when in USA, they become even Indians.
@BruteForce:
"The day Pakistan beings to accept the Status Quo"
Perhaps you meant "begins". See, it happens to all of us all the time (no sarcasm intended).
India doesn't have anything in Common With Pakistan. Pakistani's Are Arab:-)
@Aschraful Makhlooq: This id your headache not ours because you accuse Pakistan and Pakistani intelligence agencies and Mujahideen of baseless allegations regarding interference in Occupied Kashmir’s matters…… The reason Pakistan is an 'International Migraine' and not just a 'headache' is because the entire world except the Pakistanis 'allege' Pakistan to be the Terror capital of the world.... And if this is not the headache of Pakistanis then i doubt that Pakistanis ever had a 'head' to have an 'ache' in the first place.... I hope you get this 'headache' for the sake of Pakistan and thereby for the sake of the entire world....
The advantages of being a status quo power like India is that you can take all the time in the world; you can dictate terms in any negotiations, or even if the negotiations will be held at all.
Pakistan, if it thinks peace of mind and peace are important, must transform itself from being a revisionist power to a Status Quo power.
Negotiations between a bigger, stronger, economically, politically, socially more stable power, which is happy with the Status Quo and a Terror-fraught, Economically weak, increasingly isolated, bankrupt, revisionist power, can only go one way.
The day Pakistan beings to accept the Status Quo, everyone can finally move on to do better things.
We Pakistanis also are not dying for resuming composite dialogue process with India.Take time India as much as possible and @Modified "Effectively no dialogue for next 5-6 years" you are most welcome even you may take time for effective dialogues even more than 6 years or as much as you want we don't care.This id your headache not ours because you accuse Pakistan and Pakistani intelligence agencies and Mujahideen of baseless allegations regarding interference in Occupied Kashmir's matters......
@Queen: Without getting into much strategic jargon, right now It is Monsoon time in the Country. Already thousands have died and lakhs injured or made homeless by the flash flood in one of the States. So, I don't expect much foreign affair initiative in the next 2 months as the Government will be (or try to give an impression of being) focussed on flood and drought preparedness & mitigation in different parts of the country. Also Next year, there are general elections to lower house of the Parliament, so Politicians can't afford to be too cosy with Pakistan without getting some big favors in return (for the sake of national honour).
Just stop all diplomatic relations and get on with our lives. We have nothing in common and let us keep it that way.
How come I can't see Salman Khushid's statement anywhere on Indian websites? Did he really say this? THE nation demands an ANSWER!
@Queen: The govt would have settled down when it has handled the IMF payments, circular debt, TTP and all other existential problems. It is still far from doing any of that. . If NS wants to go to China, sure. Why should the Indians care? I for one hopes he has a good trip and that he visits Hong Kong and Macau, both places where I spent a few years in. End of the day, please remember that the Chinese dragon is a fictitious creature.
I think the Indian side needs to open their eyes and smell the coffee. The Government of Pakistan has not only "settled down" but Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif all set to make his fist official visit to China. It is the Indian Government which requires time to develop a policy toward Pakistan.
what is common since partition of 1947 to India and us i e USA/UK so forget about peace amongst us,Secondly,Indian are at giving end so delays,non-serious,twisting of words,backdoor diplomacy,CBM,diverting water,violation of agreements is common with India,For this is not the time to talk post 2014.
By the time Government in Pakistan settles down (????), Man Mohan Singh's government will be on its way out. Who knows, next might be Modi.. Effectively no dialogue for next 5-6 years....
i dont know why india always shows off as a patron of the region. cant believe minister of one of the most spineless prime minister of india is telling pakistan government to settle down. i think india needs to settle down after its coming election. in pakistan we have a prime minister who can decide on his own without a nod from his party chairperson. i dont know whts the authority of Dr. Manmohan Singh to take a stand on national matters without approval from Mrs. Gandhi. i hope BJP/modi comes to power, it will be way easier for pakistan to negotiate.