Pak will welcome resumption of Composite Dialogue: FO

Pakistan said it would welcome any move to resume the composite dialogue process with India stalled since the Mumbai attacks, but insisted that the talks should be "result-oriented" and cover all outstanding issues, including Kashmir and sharing of river waters.

Pakistan on Thursday said it would welcome any move to resume the composite dialogue process with India stalled since the Mumbai attacks, but insisted that the talks should be "result-oriented" and cover all outstanding issues, including Kashmir and sharing of river waters.

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"Pakistan will welcome the resumption of the composite dialogue because we are for a meaningful engagement with India," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told a weekly news briefing, responding to a question on whether the two countries are on the verge of reviving their peace process.

"From our perspective, talks should be all-encompassing and result-oriented. We will, therefore, welcome the resumption of the composite dialogue," he said.

Basit noted that the Prime Ministers of the two countries had agreed during their meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh last year that dialogue is the only way forward.

"Pakistan has always believed that it is only through genuine and meaningful talks that Pakistan and India can resolve their bilateral disputes, including the long-simmering Jammu and Kashmir dispute and water issues," he said in response to another question.

Basit said "some proposals" for the revival of the peace process were being considered but refused to give details. He also did not say which country had mooted these proposals.