Islamabad: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Thursday said improved relations between India and Pakistan will lead to peace and stability in the region and the exchange of visits by delegations of the two countries discuss the Kartarpur Corridor will help in de-escalating tensions.
Qureshi’s comment came following his meeting with Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Sohail Mehmood, who discussed with him the relations and current situation between Islamabad and New Delhi.
Mehmood, who is scheduled to return to New Delhi after he was summoned by Islamabad for consultations following flare up of tensions between the two neighbours after the Pulwama terror attack.
“Pakistan desires de-escalation and an improvement in the current situation. The delegation-level visits will play a key role in this,” Qureshi was quoted as saying by Geo News.
“In March, both the countries will hold consultations over the Kartarpur Corridor,” he said.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district in February 14.
India launched a counter-terror operation in Balakot on February 26. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.
Qureshi also said that Pakistan wants peace in the region and has taken several steps in this regard.
India and Pakistan will discuss on March 14 the modalities of the operationalisation of the Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate easy access by Indian Sikhs to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan.
India had earlier said that the discussions with Pakistan over the Kartarpur Corridor would be held according to the government’s decision to operationalise the corridor for easy access to the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
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1. It is good to know that Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Minister believes that dialogue with India would lead to de-escalation of tension between two countries. 2. Here, I am reminded of a news report which said that UK has assured us of support for action against terror originating in Pakistan. 3 I believe entire democratic world knows that Pakistan provides support in form of funds and arms to different terror outfits, some of whom are known to create trouble in European countries as well. 3. Though the claim is that Pakistan supports azadi for Kashmir’s Muslims, fact is that Pakistan has consistently refused to accept ground reality that Kashmir is and will always remain a part of the Indian Union. Since this ground reality is not acceptable to the Army of Pakistan, dialogue with Pakistan has become non-starter. 4. After Mr. Imran Khan became PM of Pakistan he has made a promise of ‘Naya Pakistan’. My query is this: would ‘Naya Pakistan’ be really different? My question, in this connection is this: Is current PM Pakistan ready to bury the past and make sincere efforts to establish friendly ties with India? For that he has to get support of Pakistan’s Army so that all terror camps located in Pakistan can be dismantled. PM of Pakistan can then make an offer of a dialogue with India. He will not be disappointed whoever is PM of India. 5. I am aware that I am doing some wishful thinking here but this offer of dialogue from Pakistan’s foreign affairs minister has made me do that.