Hope relations will improve: Pakistan envoy

Against the backdrop of growing tension over border skirmishes and diplomatic visa rows, Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit on Saturday stressed his country's commitment to improve bilateral ties with India to ensure development and better health for people of both countries.

"We hope relations between the two countries will improve and if both sides have the will, then there is no reason our issues such as poverty, illiteracy and disease cannot be resolved," the high commissioner told media persons here after offering Eid prayers at the historic Fatehpuri Masjid.

"Pakistan is always committed to improving ties to resolve the issues," he said, during the visit to the 17th century mosque where he also addressed the congregation. He was accompanied by Counsellor (Political) Ubaid ur Rehman Nizamani and Counsellor (Press) Manzoor Memon.

Basit had on Thursday prayed and also addressed the congregation at the Jama Masjid, where he made similar comments.

However, relations between the two countries that had seemed to improve after Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif's bilateral meeting at Ufa on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit last week again took a nosedive with both trading charges of ceasefire violations along the border in Jammu and Kashmir.