The Hindu : Front Page : Pakistan wants India to resume comprehensive talks

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Sunday, Nov 15, 2009
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Pakistan wants India to resume comprehensive talks

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: A day after asking the United States to use its influence on India for the resumption of the stalled composite dialogue process, Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said not holding talks could only benefit “common enemies.”

Prime Minister Gilani told reporters in his home town Multan on Saturday that Pakistan “wants to hold comprehensive talks with India,” and “enemies could gain advantage in case dialogue fails to take place.”

Dialogue was the only way forward and, he said, the international community also wanted India and Pakistan to resume talks.

“The whole world has acknowledged Pakistan’s strategic location and its vital role as front line ally in fight against terrorism. The international community also believes that non-resumption of dialogue will only benefit terrorists who are our common enemy,” Mr. Gilani said.

Pakistan was trying to impress this upon India “with the help of friends,” Mr. Gilani said.

On Friday, in a meeting with the United States National Security Adviser, General (retd) James Jones, Mr. Gilani asked the U.S. to use its influence on India to resume the composite dialogue process, stalled since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Reducing tensions with India, he told the visiting official, would better enable Pakistan to focus on the fight against terrorism and militancy on its soil.

Pakistan is reeling under a relentless wave of terrorist attacks as its Army fights the Taliban in the tribal area of South Waziristan.

In the latest incident, a suicide bomber detonated himself on Saturday afternoon as he was stopped at a checkpoint entering Peshawar. At least 11 people were killed and 25 others injured.

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