ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The prime minister’s adviser on foreign affairs and national security Sartaj Aziz has said that Pakistan will continue to follow a policy of restraint but never compromise on its national interests.
In his address at a function in Islamabad, the adviser said that Pakistan will not abandon its political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmir cause at any cost.
Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan wants to build cooperative and good-neighborly relations with India on the basis of mutual respect and sovereign equality. However, he regretted, that India has not yet reciprocated Pakistan’s sentiments.
The adviser said that India’s decision to abandon the path of dialogue and adoption of a hostile posture, has created uncertainty in the region.
Moreover, he said that unprovoked firing and shelling from across the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary and threatens of use of force indicates Indian designs of supremacy in the region.
On Monday on the occasion of India’s 66th Republic Day, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif greeted his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and said that both leaders could work together for regional peace and South Asia’s economic development.
“In wishing the people of India progress and prosperity, it is our sincere wish to forge friendly and cooperative relations between our two countries,” Nawaz said in his a letter of felicitations for Modi
Sharif said that Pakistan remained committed to developing friendly relations with India on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect and commonality of interests.