Peace process may make some headway before polls in India: Pak

Image
Press Trust of India Islamabad
Last Updated : Jan 01 2014 | 6:56 PM IST
Pakistan today said that though the full Indo-Pak composite dialogue may not start before the general elections in India, peace process will make some headway.
Advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security, Sartaj Aziz said initiative has been taken to improve relations with India.
Tensions prevailed due to some incidents on the LOC but now situation has stabilised. The DGMOs of the two countries have met and peace is restored, he said.
In an interview to state-run Radio Pakistan, Aziz said full composite dialogue may not be started before elections in India but hoped that some groups will meet and peace process will make headway to some extent.
He said peaceful neighbourhood is the first priority of the country's foreign policy and sufficient progress has been made in this direction.
Aziz said without peaceful neighbourhood, Pakistan cannot achieve agenda of economic development.
He said to achieve these objectives "some basic changes has been made in the foreign policy during the last six months".
He said tension in the past two years with Afghanistan has ended and bilateral relations including economic and trade have improved.
Referring to process of Afghan reconciliation, he said Pakistan was extending its help in this regard.
However, Pakistan is pursuing a policy of non- interference and no favourite.
Pakistan wants Afghanistan to resolve its problems itself, he said.
Referring to relations with the US, Aziz said some misunderstandings were created during the last two years.
He said relations between the two countries were being taken in the context of Afghanistan.
But now we are establishing independent relations with US and trade and economic relations are the most important, Aziz stressed.
He said strategic dialogue process has revived which was ended after 2010 adding relations with the US is improving.
Replying to a query, he said that in contrast to previous government, the PML-N Government has taken a clear stand on drone attacks and it is getting international support in this regard.
He said drone attacks are counter-productive and violative of Pakistan's sovereignty.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jan 01 2014 | 6:56 PM IST

Next Story