As expected, Pakistan has begun using the clumsy formulations in the Indo-Pak joint statement to demand dialogue on Kashmir. Seizing upon
the promise in the joint statement on dialogue over all “outstanding issues,” the Pakistan government on Wednesday said there cannot be any talks with India unless Kashmir issue is put on the table. The Pakistan side also went on to say that Kashmir needed to be free.
“We are not ignoring problems with India. We cannot think of peace in the region without solving the Kashmir issue. Terrorism is also a very big issue in front of us. We are trying to solve all the issues that we are facing,” Pakistan’s foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said.
The development cannot but be discomforting for the Manmohan Singh government, as its leadership has been laying lot of premium on Islamabad’s so called anti-terror commitments. The prime minister, who walked the extra mile at Sharm el-Sheikh, not just de-bracketed composite dialogue from action on terror but pledged to discuss all outstanding issues.
``Action on terrorism should not be linked to the composite dialogue process and these should not be bracketed. Prime Minister Singh said that India was ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan, including all outstanding issues,’’ the Indo-Pak joint statement had said.
source
the promise in the joint statement on dialogue over all “outstanding issues,” the Pakistan government on Wednesday said there cannot be any talks with India unless Kashmir issue is put on the table. The Pakistan side also went on to say that Kashmir needed to be free.
“We are not ignoring problems with India. We cannot think of peace in the region without solving the Kashmir issue. Terrorism is also a very big issue in front of us. We are trying to solve all the issues that we are facing,” Pakistan’s foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said.
The development cannot but be discomforting for the Manmohan Singh government, as its leadership has been laying lot of premium on Islamabad’s so called anti-terror commitments. The prime minister, who walked the extra mile at Sharm el-Sheikh, not just de-bracketed composite dialogue from action on terror but pledged to discuss all outstanding issues.
``Action on terrorism should not be linked to the composite dialogue process and these should not be bracketed. Prime Minister Singh said that India was ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan, including all outstanding issues,’’ the Indo-Pak joint statement had said.
source