'Pak attaches great importance to good ties with India'

Pakistan accords great importance to good ties with India and the presence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at a regional meet here would strengthen the common desire of peace and stability in the region, a top aide of Premier Nawaz Sharif said today.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs (SAPM), Syed Tariq Fatemi, during a farewell call by outgoing Indian High Commissioner T C A Raghavan, described Swaraj's participation at the 'Heart of Asia' conference as a "welcome gesture".
"Stressing that Pakistan attached great importance to establishing good neighourly relations with India, the SAPM underscored that the Indian Foreign Minister's presence in the 'Heart of Asia: Istanbul Process' was a welcome gesture," Foreign Office said in a statement.

Fatemi said it would help strengthen the common desire of the two countries to establish peace and stability in the region.
He appreciated the services of Raghavan for his efforts to improve relations between Pakistan and India during his tenure as India's High Commissioner.
Fatemi expressed hope that the incoming Indian High Commissioner would also continue to promote cordial ties between the two countries.

Swaraj last week travelled to Pakistan where she attended the 'Heart of Asia' ministerial conference on Afghanistan.
During her two-day visit, Swaraj called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and held talks with her counterpart Sartaj Aziz.

In the meeting, the two countries decided to engage in a Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue.
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The delegate pointed out the "egregious violations" of human rights of people in large swathes of India and that Pakistan had scrupulously avoided commenting on India's internal human rights situation.
"Pakistan has restrained itself from commenting on the unrelenting repression unleashed by the Indian State in many of its areas," the FO said.
"We, instead, only address the situation in Kashmir, as that is an international dispute acknowledged in repeated UN resolutions," it said.
"The fact that we do not comment on the abysmal rights situations in other parts of India, is not due to lack of awareness of the shameful record of the Indian State. Rather, it stems from a scrupulous observance of international norms - something which India is incapable of doing," it said.