Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said the government of Pakistan would do everything in its power to clear the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, while addressing the South Asian Free Media Association Conference in Lahore today. |
"Unless the move is stalled by pettiness and bickering, the pipeline is well on its way," he said. Terming the move to establish the pipeline as a great confidence building measure (CBM), Kasuri said the presence of a common pipeline would engender trust between the two countries. |
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"This is not just because I have been friends with Indian Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar for a long time, but because I feel this and the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) will actually bring us closer to peace," he said. |
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He added that the Srinagar-Muzzafarabad bus link would also be a reality soon. "Both sides are positive about it," he said, adding, "we need grand gestures like this in public, as well as private interactions to ensure good relations," he added. |
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On Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's remarks on "cold vibes" between the two countries, Kasuri said Musharraf was not speaking out of anger but was "pained". |
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"The President was pained and angry, and I do see light at the end of the tunnel," he added. |
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In an oblique reference to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Kashmir last week, Kasuri said there could be no solution to the Kashmir issue without the Kashmiri people. |
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"A solution without involving the Kashmiris will not ensure lasting peace as it will be peace without honour," he said. |
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"The last 57 years have shown us that neither India nor Pakistan are in a position to impose their will on each other," he added. |
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"There are grey areas in our relations with each other and if I may say so, they are best left grey," he added. |
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Kasuri was all praise for the previous National Democratic Alliance regime and asked Opposition parties in both countries to play a positive role in the matter. |
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"I want to tell former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the BJP that nothing can take away the credit of improving relations between the two countries from them," he said. |
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He revealed that he had invited BJP President LK Advani to Pakistan for a visit. "Indo-Pak ties should transcend party politics," he added. |
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