Pakistan-India forum welcomes Khan’s desire to improve ties

Pakistan-India forum welcomes Khan’s desire to improve ties
The Indian chapter of the Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) has welcomed Pakistani Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan’s statement that he wants to improve relations with New Delhi. (LEON NEAL/AFP/FILE)
Updated 04 August 2018
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Pakistan-India forum welcomes Khan’s desire to improve ties

Pakistan-India forum welcomes Khan’s desire to improve ties
  • Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy urged Indian Government to engage with the newly elected Government of Pakistan
  • The importance of resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan cannot be overemphasized, said the forum

ISLAMABAD: The Indian chapter of the Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) has welcomed Pakistani Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan’s statement that he wants to improve relations with New Delhi. The chapter urged the Indian government to respond positively. 
In his victory speech on July 26, Khan said both countries need to resolve all disputes, including the “core issue” of Kashmir, through dialogue.
The forum said bilateral relations have reached an “all-time low in recent years with no… talks taking place.” 
Violations of the 2003 cease-fire agreement in Kashmir have “caused immense suffering to the residents of the border region in both countries,” it added.
New Delhi “must engage” with Pakistan’s newly elected government “to assure a return to normalcy and positive engagement,” the forum said. 
“The importance of a resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan cannot be overemphasized.”
On Monday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Khan and congratulated him on his election victory.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said: “We hope that in the coming days both sides can come together to address key concerns in what is admittedly a difficult relationship.”