The cancellation of the Indo-Pak foreign ministers' meeting in New York by India on "flimsy pretexts" was "disappointing", Pakistan said Thursday, asserting that it wants peaceful and good-neighbourly relations with New Delhi on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit.
India called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries last month, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad releasing postage stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.
"We cannot force any country to negotiate...India first agreed and in less than 24 hours, withdrew its agreement," Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Faisal told reporters here during the weekly media briefing.
He said the only way forward is through dialogue, which should be uninterrupted and uniterruptible.
The "cancellation of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan, which was to be held on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York last month, by India on flimsy pretexts, was disappointing."
When asked about any secret meeting between the two ministers, the spokesperson expressed his ignorance, saying, "I do not know about any secret meeting."
Responding to a question on the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims, Faisal said, "in the absence of any dialogue, nothing can move forward."
Noting that the Sikh International Organisation has written a letter to the Foreign Office regarding the opening of the Kartarpur crossing, Faisal said, "but as I said earlier, in the absence of any dialogue or negotiations, no matter can be resolved."
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