Pak in ‘overdrive’ to convince international community to push India for composite talks

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan is trying hard to push India to resume the composite dialogue in order to resolve all outstanding issues between the two countries, and is vying to garner more international support in this regard.

Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir held a meeting with all foreign ambassadors and high commissioners stationed in Islamabad to brief them about the recent foreign secretary level talks with India.

Sources privy to the meeting said that the meeting was part of the Pakistani game plan to gain more international support in pressurising New Delhi to resume the composite dialogue process sans any preconditions.

It may be noted that the February 25 foreign secretary level talks in New Delhi failed to yield the desired results, with India wanting all interaction to focus on prime the issue of terrorism, but Pakistan refused to step down from its stance, saying key issues of concern, including Kashmir, the water issue, and terrorism should be on the agenda of any future deliberations.

According to sources, during the meeting Bashir told the foreign diplomats that Pakistan is ready to resume a ‘meaningful dialogue’ with India without any delay, but it would not be part of any talks that are dominated by a one-point agenda.

He also urged the envoys to play their role in their respective capacities to convince India that its “stubbornness would jeopardise peace and stability in the entire region”.

“Pakistan is ready to play its role for regional peace,” sources quoted Bashir, as saying.

Insiders described the meeting as ’successful’, and said that Pakistan’s missions abroad would also arrange selective meetings and briefings to highlight the need of resumption of the Indo-Pak composite dialogue, The Daily Times reports. (ANI)