The remarks came a day after Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz announced that Foreign Secretaries of the two countries will meet next month to work out the details of the newly-announced Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue. The meeting is expected to take place in Delhi.
"Hurriyat represents aspirations of people of Kashmir. As far as we are concerned, there is no change in our policy towards them," Basit said speaking at "Aaj Tak Agenda" programme here.
Angered by Pakistan's consultations with Kashmiri separatists, India in August last year had called off talks between Foreign Secretaries of the two countries, telling it bluntly to choose between an Indo-Pak dialogue or hobnobbing with the separatists.
Calling resumption of dialogue process signal of beginning of a new phase in bilateral ties, the envoy said efforts must be made to remove negativity in Indo-Pak discourse and both sides should try to accomodate each other's expectations and concerns.
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Asked whether the dialogue process may get derailed if there was an attack on India by Pakistan-based terror groups, Basit said talks should go on overcoming any hurdles as a decision was taken to resume the peace process.
"We issued the joint statement expecting that talks will go on. There will be forces in Pakistan as well as in India who do not want talks. We should not be hostage to them," said Basit.
Calling the Mumbai attack case a "very complex" one, Basit said Pakistan will try its best to expedite the trial as soon as possible while following all the judicial process. He did not give a specific reply when asked whether Pakistan will share with India voice samples of mastermind of the attack Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
Basit said Pakistan was a major victim of terrorism which inflicted heavy cost on it. "Absolutely", Basit said when asked whether Pakistan was fed up with terrorism.
Asked why Pakistan was not handing over to India underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, Basit said he was not in Pakistan. He said India should give proof if it feels he was in Pakistan.