Islamabad:
The Pakistani government is likely to respond later today to India's offer for talks between the two countries.
Rejecting that there are any pre-conditions to the talks, Pakistani's Foreign Office Spokesperson Abdul Basit said, "With pre-conditions, we can't have dialogue. We look forward to engaging with India in meaningful and result-oriented dialogue. We hope the two countries will be able to discuss all issues that be-devil our relations."
The Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad will be informed formally of Pakistan's decision. India has offered talks at the Foreign Secretary level.
Some statements made by other Pakistani officials in the last 24 hours suggested that Kashmir will be Pakistan's main focus.
For example, after reviewing India's offer at a high-powered inter agency meeting, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that February 25, India's proposed date for the talks, " is not a bad date." But the Foreign Minister told Pakistan's Geo News that talks can't be meaningful without Kashmir.
Pakistan Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, has said India has ruled out any discussions on Kashmir.
"Regarding the question that India wants talks but not talks on Kashmir, I think the Foreign Office will be touch with them, the foreign secretary also. We should not jump to conclusions and should wait to see what they really suggested. I am certain that composite dialogue is the only way forward between two civilised countries," he said.
Gilani made it clear that the stalled composite dialogue, which covers eight subjects including the Kashmir dispute, is the "only way forward" for the two countries.
India put the composite dialogue on hold after the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.
It had linked the resumption of the peace process to Pakistan taking action against the perpetrators of the attacks that killed nearly 160 people.
Sources in the Indian government have told NDTV that points of emphasis cannot be dictated in such a fashion. The government's view is that, "the two countries must approach the talks with open mind, conscious that there are complexities involved, and that we need to unravel these complexities with a view to peacefully resolving them."
New Delhi is not interested in resuming the composite dialogue, sources say.
Rejecting that there are any pre-conditions to the talks, Pakistani's Foreign Office Spokesperson Abdul Basit said, "With pre-conditions, we can't have dialogue. We look forward to engaging with India in meaningful and result-oriented dialogue. We hope the two countries will be able to discuss all issues that be-devil our relations."
The Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad will be informed formally of Pakistan's decision. India has offered talks at the Foreign Secretary level.
Some statements made by other Pakistani officials in the last 24 hours suggested that Kashmir will be Pakistan's main focus.
For example, after reviewing India's offer at a high-powered inter agency meeting, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that February 25, India's proposed date for the talks, " is not a bad date." But the Foreign Minister told Pakistan's Geo News that talks can't be meaningful without Kashmir.
Pakistan Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, has said India has ruled out any discussions on Kashmir.
"Regarding the question that India wants talks but not talks on Kashmir, I think the Foreign Office will be touch with them, the foreign secretary also. We should not jump to conclusions and should wait to see what they really suggested. I am certain that composite dialogue is the only way forward between two civilised countries," he said.
Gilani made it clear that the stalled composite dialogue, which covers eight subjects including the Kashmir dispute, is the "only way forward" for the two countries.
India put the composite dialogue on hold after the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.
It had linked the resumption of the peace process to Pakistan taking action against the perpetrators of the attacks that killed nearly 160 people.
Sources in the Indian government have told NDTV that points of emphasis cannot be dictated in such a fashion. The government's view is that, "the two countries must approach the talks with open mind, conscious that there are complexities involved, and that we need to unravel these complexities with a view to peacefully resolving them."
New Delhi is not interested in resuming the composite dialogue, sources say.
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