No hope from Manmohan-Sharif talks: Badal

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Monday said there was hardly any hope of a positive outcome from the talks Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held with Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif in New York Sunday.

Badal, while talking to media in Fatehgarh Churian in Punjab's Gurdaspur district, said there were bleak chances of any resolution of bilateral issues between the two countries in view of the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan.

He said the dialogue process was meaningless until the ongoing tension was defused.

"India and Pakistan have not been able to achieve any headway in such dialogue processes held in the past because of the mounting tension between the two countries. This was the basic reason for the failure of several parleys between both the countries," Badal said.

Badal said that opening up of trade between both countries was the need of the hour, especially through the land route.

Punjab has a 553-km long international border with Pakistan.