US Secretary of State John Kerry shakes hands with PM Nawaz Sharif. PHOTO: INP
THE HAGUE:
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has asked the United States to play its role in normalising relations between Pakistan and India.
Emerging from a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry on the fringes of a two-day nuclear summit, the premier told journalists that India was hesitating to resolve the Kashmir issue bilaterally.
If New Delhi is not willing to include a third force in resolving the Kashmir issue, then the US will have to play its role in normalising the situation in the South Asian region, he added.
The prime minister said peace in Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan and the region. Pakistan wants to talk to the Afghan High Peace Council to maintain peace in the region, he said, adding that improved relations between Islamabad and Kabul should not be derailed.
He appreciated the discontinuation of US drone strikes in Pakistan and said that the US must continue this policy.
Secretary Kerry said the United States has great confidence in Pakistan’s nuclear security and would continue to work with Islamabad in fighting terrorism. He also assured Pakistan of cooperation to help meet its energy needs.
Kerry said the two countries were ‘deeply engaged’ and would focus on the issue of terrorism, counterterrorism, global energy besides Afghanistan and Pakistan-US bilateral relations.
Prime Minister Nawaz said there were plenty of challenges for his government that came to power nine months ago. However, he added that his government was taking measures to address these challenges.
He also mentioned his meeting with US President Barack Obama a few months ago in Washington DC and said the dialogue with the US would continue.
Secretary Kerry referred to his recent meeting with Premier Nawaz’s top aide on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz and said he was looking forward to his meeting with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar soon.
The two leaders reaffirmed their desire to continue the strategic dialogue between their countries which cover a wide range of areas.
The prime minister also had informal interactions with US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Abdullah Gul. Bilateral relations and mutual interests were also discussed in these meetings.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2014.
COMMENTS (13)
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Improving India-Pak relations is easy. To make Pakistan Happy: 1. Give all of Kashmir to Pakistan. 2. Pull out of Siachin. 3. Hand over Sir Creek to Pakistan. 4. Give two additional rivers to Pakistan. 5. US to make a nuclear deal with Pakistan on the same lines as US-India deal. Finally, accept that Pakistanis are a superior race than Indians and all others. Yeh? or Multiply all above with a negative to keep India happy. Now that is really clear and easy and the US can do it in a jiffy.
Statements of this sort by Pakistani leaders serve a useful purpose in reminding all Indians what Pakistan and perfidy are all about. There is a tendency in India, periodically, to forget. I suppose they are useful to Pakistan, too, to remind an uncaring world of their existence..
Pakistan should wipe out all terror activities aiming towards India. A Pakistani national was arrested from Rajasthan, India two days back. It proves again that while Pakistan shakes hands with one, back stab India with the other. No peace with this nation. sorry. not interested.
The Kashmir issue is like running on a treadmill. You get the sense of movement but you always end up where you started. Mr.Nawaz wants third-party mediation. How many times have we gone through this?
US can not help in improving Indo-Pak relation, when, Pakistan has again differed granting MFN status to India after previous Pak government commitment to do so by December'2012, Unless Indo-Pak has normal trade relation and people to people contact-harping on Kashmir issue is just a ploy to distract the focus.
"The prime minister said peace in Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan and the region."
This is true Mr. PM, but I very much doubt your generals agree with you.
Here's an innocent suggestion that is keeping with these wonderful times that we live in (esp in Pakistan) - why not each side "appoint a committee" for this ? Each side meaning Pakistan and India .. and yes, why not even (Lolzz!) America too (a "mediation committee" as it were, to mediate/facilitate/whatever-whatever the other committees!) ...???
Quote - "If New Delhi is not willing to include a third force in resolving the Kashmir issue, then the US will have to play its role in normalising the situation in the South Asian region, he added." - unquote.
the 1971 Shimla agreement is quite clear, there is no room for any third party involvement in Kashmir. So, how is it that the US would play its role ... ?? and why would the US get involved in Kashmir, where it has nothing to gain ... ??By shaking hands with the John Kerry, and wearing the smart suit, PM Mian Nawaz Sharif showing he too be extremely smart, and Western-type person with good hairs and educations.