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India, Pak ink pact on liberalised visa regime
AGENCIES | Islamabad, September 8, 2012 20:45
Tags : Mumbai terror attacks | S M Krishna | Hina Rabbani Khar |
Tags : Mumbai terror attacks | S M Krishna | Hina Rabbani Khar |
In the first concrete outcome of Indo-Pak dialogue, the two countries on Saturday signed agreements to substantially ease travel restrictions and for cultural exchanges but made no headway on India's demand for speedy action against perpetrators of Mumbai terror attacks.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar told a joint press conference after their talks here that they had agreed to adopt a forward-looking approach in normalising their ties while recognising the need to "expeditiously" bring perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks to justice.
However, Islamabad did not go beyond its stated position of bringing to book those involved in the Mumbai attacks in accordance with due process of law.
India, on its part, was non-committal on Prime minister Manmohan Singh's visit to this country with Krishna refusing to give a firm commitment on this, saying that the atmosphere has to be "ripe" and something "worthwhile" should come out from such a trip.
He made it clear that Singh was "not shying away" from visiting Pakistan and had never put conditions for this.
"Prime Minister has never put conditions for his visit to Pakistan. I think, the visit will take at an appropriate time when the atmosphere is ripe, when he feels that something worthwhile will come out of visit," Krishna said.
Khar cited Pakistan's move to normalise trade ties with India as a strong message of its intentions to forge ahead towards an improved relationship.
"We are looking at India with a completely different mindset... When Pakistan decides to change a position it has held to for 40 years and liberalise trade ties with India, Pakistan is sending a very very strong message of being willing to forge ahead without being hostage to the past," Khar said.
Krishna said the changed atmosphere in Pakistan augurs well for both countries, and asked both sides to keep their sights on the future.
"... let us walk the talk together," he said.
"Let us not look back as you have rightly said, let us not be held hostage to whatever has happened earlier. I think we will have to keep our sight to the future," he said.
Krishna termed Pakistan's move to release all Indian fishermen as a "wonderful gesture" and hoped that their boats and trawlers will be returned at the earliest.
Khar said the India-Pakistan relationship has been one characterised by several missed opportunities and referred tob the avalanche that buried over 100 Pakistani soldiers at an Army camp in Siachen.
She said the new visa agreement was the first big step in easing travel restrictions, but the two sides agree that much more needed to be done.
She also said that aspirations of the Kashmiri people should be accommodated.
Issue Dated: Feb 5, 2017
