Peace, stability in Afghanistan, resolution of Kashmir important for region: Nawaz
Prime Minister urges better border management along Durand line to curb infiltration. Vows to raise education budget.
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.
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.