India-Pak peace process should be uninterrupted: Ashraf

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Underlining that Pakistan and India are standing at the “crossroads of history”, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf today said the bilateral peace process should be “uninterrupted” so that it can produce results.

Ashraf made the remarks while chairing a session of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s council that was held at the Prime Minister’s secretariat.

Pakistan had demonstrated “seriousness of purpose and sincerity” in resuming the dialogue with India, he said. In his opening remarks, he said that “Pakistan and India stand at the crossroads of history”.

Islamabad feels that the bilateral dialogue “should be uninterrupted as it is important to sustain this process to make it result-oriented”, he added.

Ashraf said Pakistan had conveyed to India that it “seeks friendly, cooperative and good neighbourly relations”. Pakistan has also emphasised the need to “invest more on building trust and infusing greater political skill in resolving all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir”, he remarked.

The Kashmir dispute held the key to durable peace in South Asia, and Pakistan feels “a sustainable resolution of the problem will only be possible if the aspirations of the Kashmiris are taken into account”, he said.

Ashraf’s comments came against the backdrop of a recent spike in tensions between the two neighbours over a string of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Two Indian soldiers and three Pakistani soldiers were killed in the clashes, the most serious violations of a truce that was put in place in late 2003.