Kuala Lumpur: Warning that terrorists wanted to sabotage the Indo-Pak peace process, Pakistan on Monday said the two countries should not allow
extremists to dictate terms to them.
Stating that Pakistan was committed not to allow its soil to be used for acts of terrorism against any country, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said India should reciprocate its positive gestures to effectively fight terror.
The peace process has been put on hold by India since last year's Mumbai terror attacks. India has linked Pakistan's actions against terrorists to resuming the composite dialogue.
"We continue to strongly believe that the terrorists are out there to sabotage the peace process between Pakistan and India... Our two countries should not be driven and dictated by them," Qureshi told a Malaysian news agency in an interview.
Qureshi, who is here for a meet of the Group of Eight Developing Islamic Countries (D-8) beginning tomorrow, said terrorism was a common challenge requiring a joint response.
"As you know, Pakistan is fighting terrorism in its own interest. At the same time, we fully understand that in order to deal with terrorism and militancy, regional cooperation is a sine qua non," he said.
He later told newsmen that forces had surrounded the key South Waziristan region, choking the Taliban militants in their stronghold, as it hopes to establish its foothold in the area before the winter sets in next month.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, November 02, 2009, 10:01