The Kashmir dispute is a "core issue" between India and Pakistan and New Delhi should show "more seriousness" about the dialogue process between the two countries, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Tuesday in Islamabad. "Kashmir is a core issue between India and Pakistan and we have raised the Kashmir issue at every level and (in) meetings with foreign delegations," Gilani said during an interaction with a delegation of the All Pakistan News Agencies Council. He said India should show "more seriousness" about the bilateral dialogue process.
"We want to take the dialogue process further," he added. Gilani said he had told his Indian counterpart during their last meeting in Bhutan in April that Pakistan s "present government enjoys broad-based support of all political parties, institutions and stakeholders (and) therefore, it is in a much better position to negotiate outstanding issues with India .
The premier s remarks came five days after talks between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries failed to make any headway. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said he is unwilling to travel to New Delhi for further talks unless India is prepared to hold a constructive and result-oriented dialogue. Gilani also spoke to the journalists on several domestic issues, including the drive to verify the degrees of members of the national and provincial assemblies and proposed transit trade agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Clarifying confusion in media reports about transit trade with Afghanistan, Gilani said a broad-based understanding has been reached by Islamabad and Kabul to initiate discussions on a possible agreement. An agreement can only be signed after ratification by the cabinet, he said. Replying to a question regarding Pakistan s recent participation in the US Nuclear Summit, Gilani said this was the first time that the world accepted Pakistan s nuclear status. Asked about the disqualification of lawmakers found to possess fake degrees, Gilani said whenever a seat in the provincial or national assemblies is declared vacant, the Election Commission will hold polls within the prescribed schedule. PTI
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