Talks meaningless unless Kashmir is resolved: Pak minister
Ashok Tuteja in Maldives
Pakistan Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan on Saturday said no substantial progress could be achieved in the Indo-Pak talks until the core issue of Kashmir is resolved.
''You can't sustain the talks if Kashmir is ignored,'' he said. ''The talks will be meaningless if Kashmir is not on the agenda.''
However, Khan was optimistic that Prime Minister I K Gujral
and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif would be able to ''break
the ice'' when they meet in Male on Monday on the sidelines of the
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit.
Khan said Gujral enjoyed tremendous goodwill in Pakistan
since he hailed from Jhelum in that country.
Both Gujral and Sharif are arriving in Maldives on Sunday and are
expected to meet on Monday afternoon after the three-day SAARC
summit is inaugurated.
Meanwhile, India expressed its readiness to discuss
all bilateral issues with Pakistan when Gujral
meets Sharif. This was disclosed by Commerce Minister B Ramaiah.
Ramaiah has been deputed by the prime minister to attend the
two-day SAARC ministerial level meeting, beginning here on Sunday.
Gujral will be assisted in talks by foreign secretary Salman
Haider, Indian high commissioner in Pakistan, Satish Chandra and
other senior officials.
UNI
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