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Pakistan confident India won`t block it from Asean Forum
Islamabad, Apr 20: Prime Minister Zafrullah Khan Jamali on Tuesday expressed confidence that rival India would agree to Pakistan`s entry into a security forum of the Association of South East Asian Nations.
Islamabad, Apr 20: Prime Minister Zafrullah Khan Jamali on Tuesday expressed confidence that rival India would agree to Pakistan's entry into a security forum of the Association of South East Asian Nations.
Pakistan's admission into the Asean Regional Forum was blocked on technical grounds last year by India, which is one of the forum's 23 members, but Jamali is now hopeful of success because of warming relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
"I feel that there will be no blockade from the Indian side," the Prime Minister was quoted as saying by the state Associated Press of Pakistan news agency. "I feel confident."
Indian officials weren't immediately available for comment on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, Pakistan's foreign ministry said it had approached all the forum's members, including India, to admit it into the ARF.
The forum is Asia's largest security grouping. It includes the 10 member nations of Asean, as well as 13 dialogue partners from Asia and the Pacific and the West, including China, Japan, Russia and the U.S. They discuss political and security issues of mutual concern, including the threat of terrorism.
The issue of Pakistan's bid for ARF membership is expected to be high on the agenda as Jamali departs Wednesday on official visits to Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, all Asean members. He will also be making stops in China and Hong Kong.
In February, India and Pakistan restarted peace talks after a gap of more than two years and agreed on a road map to be pursued in wide-ranging talks from May.
The two countries have been enemies since independence from Britain in 1947, and have fought three wars since then, two over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
Bureau Report
"I feel that there will be no blockade from the Indian side," the Prime Minister was quoted as saying by the state Associated Press of Pakistan news agency. "I feel confident."
Indian officials weren't immediately available for comment on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, Pakistan's foreign ministry said it had approached all the forum's members, including India, to admit it into the ARF.
The forum is Asia's largest security grouping. It includes the 10 member nations of Asean, as well as 13 dialogue partners from Asia and the Pacific and the West, including China, Japan, Russia and the U.S. They discuss political and security issues of mutual concern, including the threat of terrorism.
The issue of Pakistan's bid for ARF membership is expected to be high on the agenda as Jamali departs Wednesday on official visits to Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, all Asean members. He will also be making stops in China and Hong Kong.
In February, India and Pakistan restarted peace talks after a gap of more than two years and agreed on a road map to be pursued in wide-ranging talks from May.
The two countries have been enemies since independence from Britain in 1947, and have fought three wars since then, two over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
Bureau Report