Pakistan considers India's statement on need for peaceful atmosphere 'ironical'

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, has said that Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj's demand to create a conducive and peaceful atmosphere for starting a dialogue between the two Asian neighbours sounds 'ironical'.

Aziz emphasized that talks between both sides is not possible at a time especially when, according to him, India has been violating ceasefire at the

Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary, "indulging in worst human rights violations against "helpless Kashmiris" in Indian occupied Kashmir and undertaking subversive activities in Pakistan".

The comment was issued in response to Swaraj's statement that a dialogue with Pakistan could only take place only in a peaceful atmosphere, which can be achieved only after Islamabad initiated

action against the people involved in terror activities in India, including 26/11 accused Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and others.

Aziz said that his nation has always envisaged improved relations with all its neighbours, including India, stressing that it was in this spirit that Sharif attended the oath-taking ceremony of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on May 26, 2014.

The statement said that Pakistan's policy all along has been that all outstanding disputes, particularly the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir,should be resolved through dialogue. It added that Pakistan had conveyed to India that it remains committed to a sustained, comprehensive and result-oriented dialogue, provided New Delhi is ready.

Referring to the Mumbai terror attacks trial, Aziz said that it is going on in a court of law. He also questioned India's concern over slow progress and pointed towards New Delhi's reluctance to cooperate by not allowing the Judicial Commission to visit India until September, 2013.

The statement also said that information on the trial of Indian military's active service officers, who were involved in the Samjhauta Express bombings and named by RSS member Swami Aseemanand, had not been shared with Pakistan.

Some Pakistanis lost their lives in the Samjhauta blast.