Pakistan media welcomes resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue

In her address at the meet today, she said it was time the two countries display “maturity and self-confidence” to do business with each other as the world was rooting for a change and offered to move cooperation at a pace Pakistan is comfortable with.

Pakistan and India have agreed to resume composite dialogue under the new title of Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue.

The decision to resume the talks was taken yesterday during visit of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here and her meeting with Pakistani leaders.

It reported that a succession of meetings paved the way for a possible meeting between the two foreign secretaries.

In addition to counter-terrorism, peace and security, andJammu & Kashmir, the comprehensive dialogue will also include Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project, Economic and Commercial Cooperation, Narcotics Control, Humanitarian Issues, People to People exchanges and religious tourism, according to the joint statement.

Holding a bilateral dialogue, Swaraj and Adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz at the moment “condemned” terrorism and “resolved” to cooperate to get rid of it.

The Indian side was assured of the steps being taken to expedite the early conclusion of the Mumbai trial, ” the statement said.

Representatives of over two dozen countries met in the Pakistani capital as part of the “heart of Asia” initiative, which was launched in 2011 in Istanbul to promote Afghan peace efforts.

“When Pakistan highlights the issue of Kashmir at the United Nations under its resolution, India says it’s a bilateral issue which requires no worldwide forum”. However, differences on the agenda as well as Pakistan’s insistence on meeting Kashmiri leaders eventually led to the collapse of the meeting.

The talks were held pursuant to the brief meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Miniser Nawaz Sharif in Paris on November 30, which had pointed to the possibility of a thaw in the relations between the two countries.

Although, the decision of resumption of the stalled peace talks was announced in Islamabad, it is believed that much of the work was done during the NSA-level talks in Bangkok last Sunday.