Davos, Jan 29: Hopeful of normalization of Indo-Pak ties, Pakistan Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani has described it as a “compelling necessity” and said his Interior Secretary will soon visit India to take forward the talks on outstanding issues between the two countries.
 During a meeting with Minister of State for Planning, Science and Technology and Earth Science, Ashwani Kumar, here on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Gilani expressed hope for normalization of bilateral ties.
 Kumar, who was here to attend the WEF as an Indian government representative, told PTI that Gilani also asked him to convey his greetings to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and expressed the view that normalization of relations between the two countries was a “compelling necessity”.
 Kumar said he told Gilani that the people of the two countries have for long yearned for peace and that the recent policy announcements on both sides to facilitate cross-border trade will strengthen the process of normalization of ties.
 During their meeting, Gilani said his Interior Secretary will soon visit India to carry forward the official negotiations on outstanding issues.
 The Minister also met Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who too are here to attend the summit.

‘MANMOHAN SINGH GENUINE PERSON’
 Gilani lauded his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, describing him as a “genuine person” who is keen to resolve all bilateral issues.
 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a “genuine person” who is desirous of resolving all issues with Pakistan, including the “core issue of Kashmir”, Gilani told reporters on the sidelines of WEF here.
 When Gilani was asked by an Indian journalist about the possibility of another Mumbai-style attack during an interaction with the media on the sidelines of the summit, he replied: “Ifs and when do not make a story.”
 “We see Pakistan as a factor of peace, stability and development in the region,” Gilani said yesterday.
 Pakistan desires good relations with all its neighbors and if New Delhi has any information about terrorist activities, it can be shared with Islamabad, he said.
 Noting that Pakistan had resumed its dialogue with India, Gilani mentioned his visit to Mohali last year to watch the Cricket World Cup semi-final at the invitation of Singh.
 “We are in the process of normalizing trade relations with India, which will benefit the people of both countries.”
 Gilani further said that Pakistan attaches importance to its relations with Afghanistan and a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was in the strategic interest of Pakistan.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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