Meaningful dialogue with India will bridge trust deficit: Pak Foreign Office

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has reiterated that sustained and meaningful dialogue with India would help bridge the trust deficit between the two countries.

Referring to Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna’s visit to Pakistan on July 15, Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Abdul Basit said: “As far as Pakistan is concerned, we are approaching the upcoming bilateral meetings with a positive mindset.”

“We hope that these lead to results which are in our mutual interest, and yield long-term benefits to people on both sides of the border,” he added.

He further said that Pakistan has always been promoting the cause of peace and stability in South Asia.

“We are keenly looking forward to our engagement with India with a view to promoting this cause,” The Daily Times quoted Basit, as saying.

When asked if the issue of Indian involvement in Balochistan would be discussed in the meetings, Basit said that Islamabad has been making a point with regard to the issue.

“We hope that when the two sides get together and resume the engagement process, this, and other issues, would come up for discussion,” he said.

Last week, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said that he would be ready to discuss all issues of bilateral importance with Krishna.

“The idea behind this (Foreign Ministers’) meeting is to bridge the trust deficit. We have to sit together and work out the confidence building measures that would bridge the trust deficit,” Qureshi had said. (ANI)