Pakistani Foreign Minister: Indian Officials Should Not Use Media to Resolve Diplomatic Issues

The Pakistani Foreign Minister urged Indian leaders to refrain from comments that could negatively impact current efforts towards peace and reconciliation between the two countries. Khurshid Kasuri stated today that Indian government officials should not use the media to resolve diplomatic issues. Mr. Kasuri mentioned that avoiding such methods in the relations between the two countries has recently yielded positive results, and adhering to this policy by the new Indian government would also be fruitful. The statement by Khurshid Kasuri is a reaction to remarks made by Natwar Singh, the Indian Foreign Minister, last week. In his speech, Mr. Singh referred to the peace treaty that ended the third war between India and Pakistan thirty-two years ago as an important and stable pillar in the relations between the two countries. Apparently, New Delhi considers this treaty as an implicit and indirect confirmation of the validity of the ceasefire line in Kashmir as the border between Pakistan and India. However, the Indian Foreign Minister reiterated in his statement that a solution to the Kashmir issue based on converting this ceasefire line into a permanent border between the two countries is unacceptable from Pakistan's perspective.