ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary said on Friday the reluctance of the New Delhi government to hold talks with Pakistan showed the divided opinion in Indian leadership, ARY News reported.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan extended an offer of friendship to India and said Pakistan will take two steps, if India takes one in this direction,” he said while talking to ARY News.
India has cancelled the meeting slated to be held between foreign ministers of Pakistan and India on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this month.
Indian External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Friday made announcement to this effect to call off the meeting alleging “unclean intentions on Pakistani side”.
Read More: India cancels meeting with Pakistan in New York
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told ARY News that he was surprised and disappointed over the latest development.
“We had given a positive signal and India too had hinted about negotiations,” he said.
“India has once again shown that it cares more about its own politics than regional peace and stability,” he added.
The FM said it appeared as if the Modi government was preparing for the next elections and the Indian politicians were ostensibly divided over the issue of holding talks with Pakistan.
Fawad Chaudhry said wars were no solution to any conflict and only talks on table could ensure regional stability.
He said Hindu extremists put pressure on the Indian government to scrub the meeting.
The minister said the offer for peace talks were motivated by the fact that the Pakistani government wanted to rescue those who were living below the line of poverty on both sides of the border, otherwise the nuclear-armed neighbours had been fighting for the last 70 years.
“We have showed the world that Pakistan stands for peace and will strive for bringing peace in the region. The world is closely watching the Indian moves and pressure is mounting on India to reply to the peace gestures of Pakistan,” he said.
