Pakistan will work with whoever people of India elect: FO

Pakistan aims to resume composite dialogue with India, says Foreign Office spokersperson Tasneem Aslam

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday indicated that it was ready to work with whichever party who is handed a mandate by the Indian people in the ongoing parliamentary elections in India.

“We deal with countries. It’s for the people of India to elect whoever they deem fit. We will take it from there,” foreign ministry spokesperson Tasneem Aslam told reporters here at her weekly briefing when asked whether Pakistan would respond positively if hardline Hindu nationalist Bhartia Janta Party (BJP) comes to power.

The nine-phase vote in India began earlier this week and will conclude on 12 May.

The main contest in the biggest-ever polls is between the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi and the BJP, led by the controversial Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi.

Modi, who is ahead in all the pre-election opinion polls, has been accused of being linked to India's worst anti-Muslim riots in 2002 in the state of Gujarat.

He has been calling for talking tough with neighboring Pakistan, but critics doubt whether he would do the same if he forms the government.

The foreign ministry spokesperson said Pakistan was looking forward to resuming the stalled peace talks with India.

So far, India has been reluctant to resume the full spectrum of dialogue linking the process with Pakistan successfully prosecuting the suspects of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Lamenting that the process had been disrupted for the last three years, Aslam stressed the need for restoration of the eight-point agenda in the composite dialogue in order to address all outstanding issues including the longstanding problem of Jammu and Kashmir.

“In order to have sustainable and durable peace, we need to address all the issues and disputes that stand between Pakistan and India having normal, good neighbourly relations and having peace and cooperation in the region,” she emphasised.

Afghan Elections

The spokesperson hoped that the recently-held presidential elections in Afghanistan would contribute to the building of a stronger, more unified and prosperous Afghanistan.

“We would continue to support the Afghan people every step of the way,” she said.

She said Pakistan’s consistent support for a free and fair electoral process was based on the belief that it was vital, both for a smooth political transition and for Afghanistan’s future stability.

Pakistan took a range of measures to reinforce existing security arrangements to help the efforts for peaceful conduct of the elections, she added.

“These included enhanced vigilance and security along the entire length of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, sealing of the crossing-points, deployment of additional troops, aerial surveillance, and enhanced communication through Border Coordination Centers.”

Aslam maintained that the Afghan electoral institutions now have the heavy responsibility to ensure successful completion of the next steps in the electoral process.

Abduction of Iranian guards

The Iranian guards were freed a few days ago, prompting the floor to question Aslam regarding any communication on this matter.

"Our authorities and security agencies confirmed that they have no indication that these guards were brought to Pakistan, and also that there was absolutely no indication that they were released in Pakistan," Aslam responded.

Aslam also briefly mentioned the proposed visit to Iran by Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, hoping that the dates could be worked out for the first part of the year. She further stated that Pakistan and Iran have a multifaceted relationship and cooperation.