Good omen: Rashid says NY meeting an icebreaker

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid has said that initiation of negotiations between Pakistan and India was a good sign in efforts for resolving the outstanding issues between the two countries. The meeting between premiers of the two countries was part of the negotiation process, he added. Rashid said that back channel diplomacy would be continued to strengthen relations. He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was committed to establishing friendly relations with all neighboring countries. The minister said that leadership of Pakistan and India was aware of the region’s challenges. He urged that the media should play a positive role and set ethics for itself. He added that the option of talks with Taliban should be exercised to bring peace as decided in the All Parties Conference (APC).He said that both sides should be given some time for starting negotiations.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2013.