Pakistan Foreign Office urges India not to set conditions for talks

Pakistan has asked India not to set any conditions for talks, and reiterated that all outstanding disputes between the two countries should be resolved through dialogue.

"You cannot have dialogue and at the same time impose preconditions," the Dawn quoted Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam, as saying at her weekly press briefing here on Thursday.

On Indian Defence Minister Arun Jaitley's recent demand for a mandatory early conclusion of the trial of the Mumbai attack accused to ensure normalisation of relations and continuation of dialogue on all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, Aslam said the trial of the Mumbai case accused was continuing and not held up.

She, however, maintained that the Pakistan Government was of the view that the trial of the accused in the Samjhota terrorist attack in which Pakistanis were the victims was not progressing along expected lines.

Answering a question about a cross-fire incident between Pakistan and India and reported killing of one Indian soldier, Aslam was quoted by the Dawn, as saying that there had been intermittent and unprovoked firing from the Indian side on the working boundary in Sialkot which resulted in injuries to two Pakistani soldiers.

She said: "We have no confirmation that any Indian soldier was killed, but certainly the fire was returned."

She said Pakistan strongly condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, including the one in Paktika province, in which a large number of innocent civilians, including children, have lost their lives.

She said Pakistan has welcomed the amicable solution reached regarding the complaints of fraud in the second round of Afghan presidential elections.

Asked to explain Pakistan's position on the formation of new BRICS World Bank under the leadership of India, she said "BRICS is an economic grouping and they are entitled to take all steps that they deem feasible for their economic development".