NEW DELHI (PTI):Relations between India and Pakistan were currently at the lowest EBB, but dialogue between the two countries would help in resolving outstanding issues, Pakistan high commissioner in New Delhi, Riaz HKhokhar, said, “A series of things that have happened, avoidable and unavoidable,” had contributed to deterioration of relations between India and Pakistan, the controversial high commissioner told an impromptu Press conference here on July 29.
“It is pity our relations have touched a low point, but are not giving up and 1 am hopeful things will improve if we sit across and have a dialogue, “Khokhar said. Asked why Pakistan persistently raised the Kashmir issue in international for a instead of discussing it bilaterally on the basis of Simla agreement, Khokhar said it was his government’s stand to do so and claimed his country had agreed to talk with India on the basis of the Simla agreement. “Last July the then Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif had written to Indian Prime Minister, P.VNarasimha Rao, to open dialogue. The Indian premier replied in Augustor September and placed various conditionalities,” Khokhar claimed. The two counties must make a fresh beginning “on a clean slate,” pulling aside what has happened in the past, he said. Khokhar said the recent arrest of a Pakistani embassy official by the Delhi police on spying charges was in “contravention of code of conduct.”
Article extracted from this publication >> August 6, 1993
