Pakistan, India called to resume dialogue process

The lawmakers of Pakistan and India have called upon the two governments to resume dialogue process for sustainable peace in the region on Friday. The call was made in a joint communiqu{ issued at the end of the two-day talks between the parliamentarians of two countries. The lawmakers of both countries agreed to continue parliamentary level talks and expressed satisfaction over progress on different issues including visa and trade. While addressing the Pakistan India Parliamentarians' Dialogue, the Chairman Senate Defence Committee, Senator Mushahid Hussain called for cooperation between India and Pakistan to "create new regionalism." Mr. Mushahid during the dialogues initiated by PILDAT in 2011 said, "Today, a greater South Asia is emerging as a new geo-economic entity which is not limited to SAARC countries but includes China, Myanmar, Iran and Afghanistan." The Defence Committee Chairman pointed out that the most important regional challenge is the upcoming US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014 having impact over the whole region. He stated that it is crucial that India and Pakistan work together to make bold decisions that may be unpopular yet are necessary. The Indian Congress member, Mani Shankar Aiyer was heading the Indian delegation and expressed that the parliamentarians and common people on both sides should work together to create an atmosphere of goodwill and dialogue. The Chairman ensured to extend full support on the behalf of the Senate Defence Committee in cooperation on any possible dialogue with its Indian counterparts, similar to the two dialogues conducted by the committee in Afghanistan and China this year. Mr. Mushahid said that peace was indivisible and peaceful and just settlement of the Kashmir dispute would be a major plus for peace adding, "This New Regionalism should be knit together by cooperation in economy and energy, railway, roads and pipelines."