Beijing, May 18: Efforts must be made to resume the stalled bilateral Indo-Pak dialogue which should cover not only Kashmir but all outstanding issues Pakistan's High Commissioner-designate to India Riaz Muhammad Khan has said.
Khan, an India hardliner and serving as Pakistan's envoy to China, was named the new ambassador to Delhi by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali yesterday.
Despite serious differences between the two countries
efforts should be made to resume the stalled dialogue to
ensure peace and development of South Asia, he said hoping
that the talks would lead to an "improved" environment between
the two countries.
He, however, cautioned against expecting an early breakthrough on Kashmir and suggested that the India-Pak talks should not only address the question of Kashmir but also many
other questions noting that there is already an agreement between the two sides for a structured dialogue.
"Given the history of the Kashmir dispute, the prospects of an early solution are slim," he said in an interview to the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) this week.
Khan, a former spokesman of Pakistan's Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, also denied New Delhi's charge of Islamabad
supporting cross-border infiltration saying "it is an
allegation belied by facts."
"Pakistan has always supported the Kashmiri struggle for
their fundamental rights diplomatically and politically," said
Khan known for his hardline stand on Kashmir.
Bureau Report
