India ‘not sincere’ about resuming bilateral talks: Gilani
By ANITuesday, December 1, 2009
BERLIN - Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has criticised India for refusing to restart the stalled composite dialogue, and has urged the international community to step in and resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir.
Gilani, who is currently on a visit to Germany, said New Delhi is not sincere in resuming the peace talks.
“India is stalling the dialogue process and the European Union must play its role to bring it back to the negotiating table for resolving all outstanding issues, including the core issue of Kashmir, between the two countries,” Gilani said at a meeting with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, here.
He, however, appreciated Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s efforts to resolve issues, including Kashmir, and said that Islamabad strongly believed that a friendly environment should prevail for the dialogue to continue.
Gilani said ties between India and Pakistan are crucial for the stability of the whole region.
Earlier, interacting with media persons onboard his special aircraft, the Dawn quoted Gilani as vehemently rejecting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s view that Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden is hiding inside Pakistan.
Gilani instead blamed the US and Britain for not sharing actionable information on top Al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has that his country is ready to resume talks with India, and blamed India’s political compulsions for its continuous refusal to restart the bilateral dialogue.
“Well, we did get a chance to meet, we were under the same roof. I met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, I met Foreign Minister Krishna, but there was no dialogue. There are political compulsions, lack of consensus on what to do. So whenever they (India) are ready, they know how to get in touch with me,” Qureshi told a private television channel in Port of Spain on the margins of the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)
He said Pakistan is interested in ‘only meaningful and productive talks with India’, adding that New Delhi has failed to respond to Islamabad’s ‘goodwill gestures.’ (ANI)
