Pakistan’s cricket chief says hopes for a bilateral series with arch-rivals India have been dashed after a visit to Islamabad by India’s external minister failed to yield any breakthrough.
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“As far as I know, the term “composite dialogue” was also a creation of the Indian side, which now has come up with a new terminology, “comprehensive dialogue”, she said.
The joint statement, released at the end of Swaraj’s meeting with Sartaj Aziz, Sharif’s advisor on foreign affairs, has revived the prospect of the composite dialogue.
Talking about terrorism it reported that it appears that terrorism will now be the exclusive domain of the two National Security Advisers with Pakistan holding out an assurance that there will be movement on the Mumbai trial which has moved at a snail’s pace.
There is a thaw in tensions between Pakistan and India ever since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi “went against the grain and seemingly extended an olive branch” to his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.
Swaraj will make a detail statement on her Pakistan visit in Parliament on Thursday. Swaraj arrived here on a two-day visit to attend a multilateral conference on Afghanistan.
“We commend the hospitality of Pakistan and Iran in hosting millions of Afghan refugees, for the last three decades, despite their own formidable challenges and limitations and we urge the worldwide community to provide them with adequate support”, the declaration said. They are so powerful there that once the Government of Pakistan handed over administration of Swat Valley to Talibans but due to U.S. hand stand revoked it. Mrs Sushma Swaraj addressing the Meet said that Afghanistan was putting up fearless fight to meet the Talibans menace.
One way to increase commerce would be to allow more goods to transfer across land between India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and central Asia. Addressing the “Heart of Asia” 5th Ministerial Meeting on Afghanistan, she extended her hand of frienship to Pakistan as well, urging both sides to display maturity and self-confidence to do business with each other and strengthen regional trade and cooperation.
“We want to see the discussions continue, so we’re encouraged by the recent dialogue between India and Pakistan”.
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Her predecessors representing India at the conclave – former foreign ministers S.M. Krishna and Salman Khurshid, and Sushma’s deputy V.K. Singh a year ago – had each referred to terrorism from Pakistan as the biggest security challenge before Afghanistan, transcripts of their speeches show. The global community has also welcomed the development.
