'Pak wants to resolve all outstanding issues including Kashmir through talks'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan desires to toughen ties with India and unravel all outstanding issues including Kashmir through talks, and is not shy of enticing with New Delhi in spite of the present deadlock in members of the family, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi mentioned right here on Friday.

"But it takes two to tango. You cannot clap with just one hand. We have a positive stance and will remain hopeful," mentioned Qureshi, who used to be sworn-in as Pakistan's Foreign Minister on Monday.


He additionally mentioned the "current position of the ties between Pakistan and India was not a secret as peace talks are suspended, but we have to see how we can move forward".

Ties between India and Pakistan nose-dived in recent years and not using a bilateral talks taking place, following a spate of terror attacks on Indian army bases through Pakistan-based terror teams since January 2016. India has made it clear that it's going to no longer grasp dialogue with Islamabad as terrorism and talks can't pass hand-in-hand.

"Pakistan wants to improve ties with India and resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir through talks. The government is not shy of engaging with India despite the current impasse in the talks," Qureshi instructed journalists after Pakistan's new Prime Minister Imran Khan visited the Foreign Ministry and used to be briefed on the nation's international coverage.

He additionally discussed Khan's July 26 victory speech, during which the former cricketer-turned-politician had mentioned that his executive would really like leaders of the India and Pakistan to unravel all disputes, including the "core issue" of Kashmir, through talks. Khan had mentioned that in the event that they (India) takes one step in opposition to us, Pakistan will take two steps.

Qureshi additionally denied having mentioned that Pakistan would win the Kulbhushan Jadhav's case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Jadhav, 47, used to be sentenced to dying through a Pakistani army court on spying fees in April 2017. India moved the ICJ in May the same yr in opposition to the verdict. The world court has put an stay on Jadhav's execution on India's appeal pending the final verdict through it.

Both India and Pakistan have already submitted their detailed pleas and responses in the world court.

Qureshi, while addressing media in his house city of Multan, had mentioned the day past that Pakistan has "solid evidence" in opposition to Jadhav and used to be hopeful of winning the case in opposition to him on the ICJ.

"How I can say that we will win when the matter is sub-judice. I only said that we will put forward Pakistan's point of view effectively," he mentioned.

Talking about his previous press conference, Qureshi mentioned he had requested a query to his Indian counterpart "whether Pakistan and India have any other option other than holding talks to resolve the issues".

He mentioned that during his "opinion there is no other option, (but resuming talks)".

"I am not talking about a revolution in our relation but just suggesting that we should hold talks and don't think if we would make progress or not," he mentioned, including that an "enabling environment" will have to be created.

To a query about Kashmir factor, he mentioned that there used to be national consensus and the federal government and the Opposition are on the similar web page.