Ties with India best ever in 60 years: FO
By Asghar Ali Mubarak

ISLAMABAD—The relations between Pakistan and India have been never so good in sixty years as are today, Foreign Office said on Monday. Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq in a weekly press briefing said though diplomatic process was slow, but the two countries were enjoying friendly relations they never had in last 60 years.
The spokesman said conflict resolution, nuclear restraint and conventional balance were the three inter-related elements which were required for strengthening the Pak-India relations. He said domestic situation in either Pakistan or India would not affect the relations between the two countries. “Domestic situation, either in Pakistan or India is nothing to do with the dialogue process,” the spokesman said. Muhammad Sadiq said if the ruling alliance in India was destabilized, the situation would not affect the dialogue process. Similarly, he said there was no instability in Pakistan to affect the peace process as the election campaign was in full swing. He said during the ongoing expert-level talks in New Delhi, Pakistan emphasized that the improvement in mutual confidence between the two countries should be leveraged to make sincere and concerted efforts for the resolution of outstanding disputes.
He said the talks also focused on Joint Anti- Terrorism Mechanism with India on cooperation between the two countries in order to prevent acts of terrorism and help bring perpetrators of such heinous crimes to justice. When asked whether the government would consider foreign assistance in probing the bombing former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s procession, Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said, “This is too early to decide.”
About alleged involvement of Pakistani abductors in the killing of Japanese student in Iran, the spokesman said the incident was reported in media, however the Japanese government had not raised the issue with Pakistan officially. He said the incident happened within 500 kilometres inside Iran’s border with Balochistan, however Pakistan government would fully cooperate with the Iranian and Japanese governments when required.
About media reports on Iranian rebels allegedly operating in Balochistan, Muhammad Sadiq said there was no solid information available in this regard.
Pakistan has termed the statement of US Consulate Principal Officer in Pakistan, Bryan D Hunt regarding the balance in the powers of the President and the Prime Minister against the diplomatic norms and said that it would check where the statement was issued by him. Addressing Foreign Office Press Briefing first time as the Spokesperson of the Government of Pakistan on Monday, M Sadiq said Pakistan if it proved than the matter would be raised before the US Government as
Pakistan cannot allow any other country to interfere in its internal matters.