War not a solution to Indo-Pak problems: Pak envoy

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : May 30 2016 | 10:22 PM IST
War is not a solution to problems between India and Pakistan and only "foolish" people would consider such an option, Pakistan High Commissioner B S Basit said today, two days after Pakistani nuclear scientist A Q Khan said his country has the capability to hit New Delhi in five minutes.
Basit also said that Pakistan wants to resolve all issues with India through talks and that the two neighbours must have "result oriented" engagement.
"War is not a solution between both (India-Pak) countries. Only foolish people would consider war as a solution to the problems," Basit said during an interactive programme.
Addressing a gathering on the 18th anniversary of Pakistan's first nuclear test, Khan on Saturday had said in Islamabad that his country has the ability to "target" the Indian capital in five minutes.
Reacting to Khan's comments, a number of strategic affairs experts here had said India has the capability to hit entire Pakistan but nuclear weapons were not weapons of war but only meant for deterrence.
Talking about overall Indo-Pak ties, Basit said, "We hope that the dialogue process will resume, because all our issues can be resolved through talks.
"Five months have passed after the Pathankot attack but the dialogue process between India and Pakistan has not resumed."
On the probe into the Pathankot attack, the Pakistani envoy said his government was extending cooperation to India in investigation of the attack.
"We're maintaining cooperation on Pathankot. Let's hope we'll be able to get to the bottom of that incident," he added.
Stressing on the need for better relations between India and Pakistan, Basit said the two countries must focus on improving trade relations. He said Pakistan was grappling with series of challenges and was trying its best to combat them.
He said greater flow of trade between the two countries will bring overall prosperity to the region.
*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: May 30 2016 | 10:22 PM IST

Next Story