Pakistan, India Must Admit Problems, Resume Talks Over Long-Standing Issues - Islamabad

Sumaira FH Published August 20, 2018 | 08:06 PM

Pakistani new government and India must admit their problems and engage in talks to resolve the conflicts that has been souring the bilateral relations for decades, Pakistani newly appointed Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday.

NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th August, 2018) Pakistani new government and India must admit their problems and engage in talks to resolve the conflicts that has been souring the bilateral relations for decades, Pakistani newly appointed Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday.

Earlier in the day, local media reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a letter to his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan stating India's readiness to engage in a dialogue with the Pakistani government. However, later on Monday, sources from India's Ministry of External Affairs told Sputnik that Modi did send the letter but there were no new proposals regarding the resumption of bilateral talks.

"I want to tell the Indian foreign minister that we are not just neighbours; we are atomic powers. We have a lot of common resources. We have long-standing issues, both of us know these problems.

But we have no other option but to engage in dialogue. We cannot afford adventurism ... We will have to admit that we are facing problems, we must admit that Kashmir is a reality," Qureshi was quoted as saying by the GEO tv channel.

In late July, Pakistan held elections to the National Assembly and regional legislatures. Khan leading the ruling Tehreek-e-Insafh party was elected prime minister on Friday having secured the support of 176 out of 272 lawmakers. The country's cabinet of ministers was formed on Sunday and took the oath of office earlier on Monday.

New Delhi and Islamabad have been engaged in an over 70-year long conflict over the disputed Kashmir region also contested by China. Since the 1940s, Pakistan and India have fought three wars over the region, which is currently controlled by the three countries.