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No harking to past, India assures Pak
Bilateral ties henceforth will be forward-looking, FM assured his Pakistani counterpart in a telephonic talk.
Signalling India's commitment to pursue the peace process, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh on Thursday spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and told him that from now onwards the future of Indo-Pak relations "would not lie in the past".
The telephonic conversation touched on all issues of bilateral interest and was conducted in a "spirit of friendship, cordiality and bonhomie," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said.
Kasuri conveyed his regards to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while Natwar Singh sent his regards to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minster Zafarullah Khan Jamali.
Natwar Singh made the call to Kasuri in the presence of Pakistan High Commissioner Aziz Ahmed Khan who had come to the Foreign Office to meet Foreign Secretary Shashank.
"As a special gesture", Singh "also agreed to receive the High Commissioner and had a very friendly discussion with him lasting more than an hour", Sarna said.
During the conversation, Singh told Kasuri that "from now onwards the future of India-Pakistan relations would not lie in the past".
They touched on issues of bilateral interest, he said.
The high-level contact comes close on the heels of the two sides deciding to hold Foreign Secretary level talks later this month to discuss peace and security including confidence building measures and Jammu and Kashmir.
This meeting will be preceded by expert-level talks on nuclear CBMs.
A statement issued by Pakistan foreign office in Islamabad said both ministers agreed "not to talk to each other through the media, but to talk personally in the interest of Pakistan-India relations and the ongoing peace process".
It said Singh spoke "very warmly and optimistically" about the future of Indo-Pak relations.
The statement said the two leaders agreed to "remain in close touch". Kasuri felt that the two governments could create conditions for peace and security, leading to stability in the region.
Singh's call was also aimed at clearing the air following statements from Pakistani leaders, raising doubts about the future of the dialogue process.
In his first press conference after assuming office, Singh had underlined the importance of replacing "mistrust with trust".
The minister had also reinforced the UPA government's commitment to continue the peace process with Pakistan.
His suggestion of a common nuclear doctrine among India, Pakistan and China was responded cautiously on Wednesday by Kasuri who said it requires "careful consideration".
