Pakistan pitches for "full spectrum engagement" with India

Pitching for a "full spectrum engagement", Pakistan on Friday said it was committed to improving bilateral relations with India.

New Delhi: Pitching for a "full spectrum engagement", Pakistan on Friday said it was committed to improving bilateral relations with India and hoped that ties will witness an "upward trajectory".

Outgoing Pakistan High Commissiner to India Salman Bashir said this while paying a farewell call on External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

He thanked Khurshid for all the courtesies extended to him and expressed the hope that bilateral relations will see an upward trajectory, sources said.

Bashir also reiterated that Pakistan was committed to improving relations with India and both sides should have a "full spectrum engagement".

He said good bilateral relation was in the interest of the people of the two countries as well as to the region.

Veteran Pakistani diplomats Syed Ibne Abbas would be the new Pakistani High Commissioner to India.

Abbas is a career diplomat and had earlier served as Counsellor (Political) at the Pakistan High Commission here. He had also served as the Director of Kashmir Affairs in Pakistan`s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Bashir was appointed as the High Commissioner to India by the previous PPP-led government after his retirement as Foreign Secretary.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif had met in September in New York and stressed on the need for bringing down tensions at the LoC.

In the meeting, Singh had laid down the precondition of an end to violations of ceasefire along the LoC for progress towards resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue on various issues.

Sharif has on numerous occasions said he wants better ties with India and resolution of all outstanding issues in a peaceful manner.

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