'India must appreciate Pak's anti-terror efforts'
Islamabad: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has asked India to appreciate Pakistan's efforts in curbing terrorism and said the two countries should de-link their peace process from incidents of terror to make dialogue a 'sustainable proposition'.
Gilani, who was speaking at a national conference of the Pakistan chapter of the South Asia Free Media Association here last evening, said Pakistan and India should resolve all outstanding disputes through peaceful means.
"I call upon India to appreciate our efforts in curbing terrorism that poses the biggest internal threat to our national interests, ethos and values.
"Pakistan and India should resolve their disputes, especially on Kashmir, through peaceful means and productive dialogue," he said.
"We should de-link the peace process from incidents of terrorism to make composite dialogue a sustainable proposition," Gilani said.
Pakistan, he said, wants 'peaceful coexistence and friendly relations' with the countries of South Asia and the world. "My government is for normalising relations with India. We believe that terrorism and extremism constitute the major challenge for not only Pakistan and India but also all peoples of South Asia," he pointed out.
Gilani also said Pakistan wants the resumption of the stalled composite dialogue with India, 'who must reciprocate our good intentions'. The premier's remarks on better relations and the call for New Delhi to appreciate Islamabad's efforts to curb terrorism coincided with a visit to India by US President Barack Obama.
Gilani also said Pakistan wished to benefit from its geo-strategic location to revive traditional trade routes for the benefit of the people of adjoining regions.
"We will continue to strengthen SAARC and are ready to take measures on mutually beneficial basis," he said. "The entire South Asian region is blessed with rare gifts of nature. Let us resolve to use our natural resources to overcome the sufferings of our teeming millions. Let us not allow despair to defeat hope," he said.
Gilani welcomed SAFMA's proposal to hold the third Indo-Pak Parliamentary Conference in Islamabad in the near future and assured the organisation of his government's cooperation.
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