Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday has said that Pakistan is ready to open Kartarpur Border, despite the failure of the talks between two countries.
While giving an interview to the Indian Newspaper, Fawad said India will have to decide on the future course of engagement with Pakistan but Islamabad is ready to discuss all outstanding issues as it believes wars and hostility provide no solution.
The “real issue” between the two sides remains Kashmir, he said, adding that Pakistan is “ready to discuss everything”, he added.
“There are several ways we can handle things. One way is we could go to war, both countries have atomic weapons and those who survive can handle the outstanding issues.
But it is foolish to think we can go to war,” said the minister, who is considered to be close to Khan.
The other way is the approach advocated by (Indian national security adviser Ajit) Doval of ‘defensive offence’ where both sides use measures to internally weaken each other. Or we can sit and discuss all issues between us and find a solution.”
He added: “We are ready to discuss everything. We have fought three wars over the past seven decades and we can’t change our neighbours. It is for India to decide.
“But then elections are coming up in India and maybe anti-Pakistan slogans sell in India. Anti-India slogans don’t sell in Pakistan.”
Earlier on September 21, foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi while reacting on the decision of cancellation of his meeting with Indian counterpart said it was a regretful news as the only solution of all disputes between both countries was to hold talks.
“It shows India is reluctant to talk with Pakistan, however, the solution of all the disputes rest in talks and both the countries should come on the table sooner or later,” he said while talking to media.
Qureshi said that it seems that “India has priorities other than dialogue, adding there is a group in the New Delhi that doesn’t want talks to take place.
He went on to say that if India doesn’t want dialogue, then Pakistan also won’t be in a haste either. “Pakistan extended the offer despite possessing evidence of Indian interference in Balochistan.”
“It seems that India is already preparing for its elections due in the country next year,” he said. “Pakistan had asked for the talks in the larger interest of the region.”
Earlier, New Delhi cancelled the scheduled meeting of Pakistan and Indian Foreign Ministers next week in New York.
The meeting was scheduled to be held on September 27.
Once again India backtracked its stance to move forward for talks with Pakistan and lost another opportunity to revive the peace talks between both arch-rivals.
Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar confirmed the development in his talks to an Indian channel, citing “unclean intentions” on Pakistan’s side.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan’s true face is in front of us,” he said. “There is no point in holding talks with Pakistan in such an environment,” he added.
The MEA spokesperson referred to the “killing of Indian security forces” allegedly by “Pakistani entities” and Islamabad’s decision to release stamps allegedly “glorifying terrorists” as the reasons behind the cancellation of talks.
Earlier, India responded positively to the letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his Pakistani counterpart, Imran Khan for the resumption of dialogues, and announced that Foreign Ministers of two countries will be meeting in New York next week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.
