India called off talks with Pakistan unilaterally: Nawaz

KARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said that India called off the foreign secretary level talks with Pakistan unilaterally and was not even trying to resume the dialogue, Saudi newspapers reported.

In interviews with different Arab language newspapers, he said his government was interested in renewing better ties with the South Asian neighbor like previous tenures of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

However, India was not positively responding to Pakistani efforts to restore the dialogue, he added.

Terming Jammu and Kashmir occupation by Indian forces as the main hurdle, the premier said Pakistan was hopeful for constructive dialogue on all contentious issues between the two countries.

India had called off the talks after Pakistan’s High Commissioner Abdul Basit held meetings with the Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders last year.

Commenting on ongoing Zarb-e-Azb military offensive in tribal areas, PM Nawaz said the operation was being carried out successfully and 90 per cent militant hideouts have been destroyed since the start of the offensive.

He said that Pakistan was also cooperating with friendly countries to eradicate terrorism from the region.

The prime minister lauded the Parliament and the masses for frustrating attempts to derail the democratic setup in the country.

On Yemen conflict, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that his government and people of Pakistan give special importance to relations with Saudi Arabia.
He reiterated defending Saudi territorial integrity at all cost.

Also read: ‘Saudi Arabia not depending upon Pakistan, Egypt military assistance’