Relations with India: Speakers for raising Pak concerns in future talks

Uninterrupted composite dialogue a must for normalisation of Indo-Pak relations.

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s decision to attend the inauguration ceremony of Narendra Modi in New Delhi, earlier this week, was appreciated by participants at a roundtable titled ‘Looking Forward: the Indian Election and its Implications for Pakistan’ on Thursday.

The roundtable, which was organized by the Jinnah Institute, took stock of recent developments on the Pakistan-India bilateral front.

Over the course of the two-hour discussion, participants reviewed statements by India and Pakistan on the recent visit and highlighted the importance of raising Pakistan’s concerns in future bilateral discussions.

Discussants also noted that Pakistan’s foreign policy outreach will continue to be influenced by the developments in the country’s internal security environment, prospects for economic recovery and improved governance. They agreed that progress on all challenges facing the country will be essential driver for our future engagement in the region.

Participants also highlighted that progress on improvement of trade relations between India and Pakistan is one area where forward movement could be expected.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2014.