Islamabad: Pakistan today said there were “serious issues” with India that need to be resolved through dialogue even as it vowed to take all steps to safeguard its national interests after statements by Indian leadership in the wake of operations by the Indian Army against militants along the India-Myanmar border.
“The government has taken cognisance of the statements from across the border. All necessary steps will be taken to safeguard the national interests of the country,” Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khalillulah said at a weekly briefing. He said Pakistan was committed to the dialogue process and to the peaceful resolution of all disputes, “but that needs to be reciprocated by the other side.”
“Pakistan was pursuing a policy of good neighbourly relations but there were serious issues between the two countries that need to be resolved through dialogue, which has been unilaterally suspended by India,” he said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday attacked the “irresponsible and imprudent” statements from the Indian political leadership and had vowed to protect his country's “vital interests at all costs”.
Addressing a conference of Pakistan's envoys, he had said such statements vitiate the atmosphere and take the two countries away from goals of regional peace and stability. Both the Houses of Parliament, the Senate and the National Assembly, had yesterday unanimously passed resolutions condemning the remarks of Indian leaders.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had said in the wake of the military action in Myanmar that it was a message to other countries which was interpreted as a warning to Pakistan.
Pakistan had described as “unfortunate” the remarks made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Dhaka where he had accused it of creating “nuisance” and constantly troubling India by promoting terrorism.
Modi in his remarks had talked about the role of his country in the independence of Bangladesh.
