Hope next govt in India will respond to talks positively: Pak FM Qureshi

Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has expressed hope that the next government in India would show a positive attitude for holding talks to solve bilateral issues.

While speaking at the National Assembly on the relations of its neighbours, Qureshi on Monday said that there is no way out except for negotiations when it comes to relations between India and Pakistan, Geo News reported.

The Pakistan government, led by Imran Khan has been indicating towards the resumption of bilateral dialogue with India, for which New Delhi has made it clear that it first wants a conducive atmosphere that is free from terrorism.

In September, India cancelled the proposed meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Qureshi on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, after two Special Police Officers and one policeman in Jammu and Kashmir were kidnapped and brutally killed by the terrorists.

In October, Khan said that he would resume peace talks with India after the 2019 general elections. Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative held in Riyadh, he claimed that his olive branch to India had been “rebuffed” by the Indian side due to the upcoming polls, as an “anti-Pakistan rhetoric brings in votes” in the nation.

“When I won the elections and came to power, the first thing I tried to do was extend a hand of peace to India.

Unfortunately, and I think it is because of the Indian elections coming up, and because sadly anti-Pakistan rhetoric brings in votes, I’m afraid we got no response from India. In fact, we got rebuffed by India,” Khan had said.

“Now what we are hoping is that we wait until the elections then again we will resume our peace talks with India,” he had noted.

[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]