Islamabad: Pakistan President Asif Ali
Zardari on Wednesday said the leaders of South Asia should not let
the "shadows of history impede progress" on resolving
outstanding issues to establish durable peace in the region.
Zardari made the remarks during a meeting with former
External Affairs Minister and author Jaswant Singh, who called
on him at the presidency.
He said there is a "need to look beyond the shadows
of history and to forge a mutual relationship sans suspicions
and mistrust".
Zardari added: "The worst sufferers of the
security-driven policies of the past more than 60 years have
been the people of the region."
The time has come for a "common fight against
militancy and poverty that confronted our people", Zardari
said.
Appreciating the scholarly pursuits of Singh, the
President said objective scholarship and independent and
responsible media can make valuable contributions to removing
misperceptions and bringing the people of the region closer.
Singh, who is visiting Pakistan to promote his book
"Jinnah: India-Partition- Independence", presented his book to
Zardari.
PTI
