Pakistan envoy urges India to resume talks over Kashmir issue

The outgoing High Commissioner of Pakistan to India, Salman Bashir on Monday reiterated the demand to resume talks between the two countries on the Kashmir issue for lasting peace.

Bashir said that resumption of talks would be a blow to elements working to ensure that peace remains disrupted between the two neighbours.

"The first step that is required is that we agree to resume talks. If the talks are interrupted, the dialoguer process is not allowed to go forward then who wins? It is only those forces or those inimical to peace and stability and good relations. They are sort of vindicated," he told media here today.

Commenting on the recent incidents of ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC), Bashir said that the general headquarters in Pakistan have issued directives to its troops to refrain from anything that initiates violation.

"I can say that Pakistani general headquarters has issued directives, not only to the corps commanders or the formation leaders, but to the troops not to initiate anything which could be construed as a violation, so we are able to fix these two things. Then of course it opens here, we are prepared now as we were yesterday for full spectrum restoration of talks between the two countries," he said.

"We must engage also on the more difficult issues. The Jammu and Kashmir issue, the Siachen ... those issues cannot be pushed to the side, but we believe that all of this requires a settlement and a peaceful settlement,' he added.

In the September 29 talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, both sides had agreed that improving the situation on the LoC is the 'precondition' to 'forward movement' in the India-Pakistan relationship.