Pakistan wants good relations with India: FO

FO spokesperson says Pakistan wants peace in the neighbourhood for the development of the entire region

ISLAMABAD: While the ongoing  Saarc Summit in Nepal continues to be overshadowed by frosty ties and minimal interaction between Pakistan and India, Islamabad said on Thursday it wants good relations with its neighbour on the basis of equality, Radio Pakistan reported.

“Pakistan wants peace in the neighbourhood for the development of the entire region,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said during her weekly briefing in Islamabad.

Referring to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s address at Saarc, in which he called for a dispute-free region, Aslam said, “The prime minister in his address to the Saarc summit also stressed the need for focusing more on public welfare than on arms.”

With analysts have blaming Saarc’s failure on the mutual mistrust between Pakistan and regional powerhouse India, the foreign office spokesperson stated that Pakistan played a constructive role in negotiations leading up to the Saarc summit and actively participated in the Saarc standing committee and council of ministers.

“The host country also appreciated Pakistan's constructive role,” she said.

Further, the spokesperson said Prime Minister Nawaz held meetings with six Saarc leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

Responding to a question regarding the Indian home minister's allegations against Pakistan, Aslam said, “Unsubstantiated allegations will not lead to resolution of any problem.”

Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to counter terrorism, she said, “We have paid more price in blood and money than any other country to counter terrorism,”emphasising that all regional countries need to cooperate to fight this menace.

Shifting her focus to relations with the United States, Aslam said Pakistan has a very comprehensive and constructive engagement with the US.

“Both countries discuss their convergences and divergences on issues at bilateral meetings,” she said.