Back channel talks to resume after polls: Inam

NEW DELHI—Foreign Minister Inam ul Haq said the back-channel dialogue between Pakistan and India for resolution of disputes would continue even after January 8 elections.
In an interview with Indian daily “Hindustan times” published on Sunday, the Foreign Minister said there are no secret about the back-channel. There is obviously some secret about the substance of discussions in the back-channel “the people involved have remained in contact with each other and I sure they will remain in contact even after the elections.” Tariq Aziz from Pakistan and Satinder Lambah from India are engaged in back-channel dialogue to reach to solutions on core issues. Referring to Kashmir issue, he said the process to resolve the issue had not derailed.”you can argue that the process may have slowed down, but the process has not been derailed. The internal difficulties of Pakistan could have led India to conclude that they should wait till such time that another interlocutor emerges,” Inam said.
He said forward movement to resolve Kashmir dispute was possible only when Pakistan and India showed initiative and political will. There could not be movement only from one side, particularly from the smaller side (Pakistan). “The more powerful and larger country (India) has also to move towards resolution,” he added.
Rejecting the western concern over safety of Pak nuclear weapons, he said “there should be no fear on anyone” part that our nuclear weapons can, at any stage, fall into the hands of extremists. People in positions of responsibility know very well that our nuclear weapons are in very safe hands.” The care-taker Foreign Minister Inam-ul-Haq has said that there should be no fear on anyone’s part that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons can, at any stage, fall into the hands of extremists.
Talking to a India Newspaper exclusively, the care-taker foreing Minister has rejected Western concerns that there was a grave threat of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists. People in positions of responsibility know very well that our nuclear weapons are in very safe hands,” said by the foreign minister in the caretaker government, who was in India for a SAARC meeting.
Talking about neighboring country Afghanistan, the care-taker Foreign Minister said increased instability in Afghanistan is a matter of great concern to Pakistan, particularly because as in recent months, Pakistan’s tribal areas have become somewhat unstable. Commenting on Pak-India negotiations, the care-taker Foreign Minister said dialogue would continue even after a new government took office in Pakistan after the January 8 elections. He mentioned that there is no secret about the back-channel, however, there is obviously some secret about the substance of discussions in the back-channel…the people involved have remained in contact with each other and I sure they will remain in contact even after the elections.—Agencies