Pak accuses India of being defiant and intransigent over resumption of talks, Zakaria says any dialogue on Kashmir issue should be result-oriented

Pakistan on Thursday accused India of being ‘defiant and intransigent’ to resumption of talks and said any bilateral dialogue should be result-oriented leading to the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said talks with India should not be for the sake of it but result-oriented and sustainable and regretted that despite a number of gestures by Pakistan, “India remains defiant and intransigent to resumption of dialogue,” according to a Radio Pakistan report.

Pakistan believes the international community has a role to play in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute and welcomes US Vice President-elect Mike Pence’s statement on mediation on the issue.

Pence had told an American network that US President-elect Donald Trump can use his “extraordinary deal-making skills” to lessen tensions and solve problems around the world when he was asked whether Trump can be a mediator in deciding Kashmir.

Pakistan has previously welcomed the statements of Trump, the UN secretary-general and friendly countries such as China and Iran, Zakaria said.

He said India has so far denied undertaking any fact-finding mission to Kashmir but the international community will have to make New Delhi accept such demands.

The Foreign Office spokesperson condemned “blatant human rights violations” by Indian security forces in Kashmir.

On a question of India’s focus on purchasing arms for its forces, he said the “consequent conventional asymmetry” due to the action poses threat to regional peace and stability.

He said Pakistan does not want to indulge in arms race and believes scarce resources of the region should be devoted to socio-economic uplift of the people.

About the recently-concluded Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar, which was attended by Pakistan Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs, Zakaria said India resorted to negativity during the meeting to hide its crimes in Kashmir.

“This also exposed India’s claims of commitment to the prospects of peace in Afghanistan as it misused a platform meant for promoting peace and stability in the war torn country,” he said.