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There is immense potential for normalising ties with India, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said. Islamabad has been consistent in trying to engage with New Delhi, and is determined to ensure that bilateral ties move forward, and are not held hostage to the baggage of history, she said. Addressing a joint press conference with visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna here, Khar said: “Each time, we have met, the confidence in taking this relationship to the right level has increased. The potential in the India-Pakistan relationship’s normalization is immense, and let me tell you Mr. Foreign Minister (S.M. Krishna), that it is Pakistan’s commitment to be able to realize this potential.” Khar said both countries and their respective leaderships needed to build on convergences, and not be held hostage to history. “Pakistan has made sure, that as we move forward, we build on the convergences. We will not brood on divergences. We will move forward. What has happened till now is history, and, we will not be held hostage to history. We will humbly, but firmly, build on the convergences,” the Pakistan Foreign Minister said. She said there was a need for both Pakistan and India to work with a changed mindset, learn lessons picked up from history, but not be held hostage to whatever has happened earlier. Both nations should look to the future, as there had already been far too many lost opportunities, she added. "We are looking at India with a completely different mindset, and must not let this relationship to be held hostage to history."Pakistan sends a very, very strong message that it is willing to forge ahead in the relationship with India. For too long, we have allowed moments of opportunity to be lost. Pakistan is committed to creating new opportunities," said Khar. Khar said it should be the endeavor of the two leaderships to solve all issues, including Siachen and Kashmir. Describing Saturday’s delegation-level deliberations as positive and fruitful, during which the two sides satisfactorily reviewed progress made on all aspects and issues, Khar said if achievements were to be spelt out, then the inking of an agreement to introduce a new visa regime should be seen as a big first step in normalizing relations between the two countries. A second achievement, she said, was the decision of both sides to take steps to reactivate the “defunct’ Joint Commission. Khar said that some progress has been made in this regard, and added that Islamabad is committed to ensure that this process continues. “Since the last year, the Joint Commission between the two countries, which was almost dead for more than seven years has been reactivated. It is our commitment to make sure the process continues unhindered,” said the Pakistan Foreign Minister. “We are willing to forge ahead for a future which is people centric, which is development centric, which is centric to the common citizens of India and Pakistan, which is committed to creating stakeholders in the economic interest and the future of the two countries. This is the vision, which is behind the Pakistan Government’s deep abiding commitment to normalize trade ties,” said Khar. Reiterating that both nations needed to abandon the mindset of negativity, the Pakistan Foreign Minister said the two recent meetings between Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, in New Delhi in April, and in Tehran earlier this week, have created a new momentum in bilateral ties. On the trade front, she said both sides have agreed to a roadmap on the way forward to boost business and trade ties, but cautioned that this roadmap has responsibilities for both sides. She said she expected trade normalization by the end of this year. “By December 2012, we will see a trade normalization process with India, which treats India as any other country of the world,” Khar said. During her address, she mentioned Pakistan’s concerns on non-tariff issues, which she hoped would be tackled during the meeting of commerce secretaries in Islamabad later this year. She also announced the Pakistan Government’s decision to release all captive Indian fishermen in its custody. Khar described the resumed dialogue process between the two countries as productive and effective, but added that there must be simultaneous progress on all tracks; there must be a commitment from both countries to sustain the momentum of their relationship. Both governments needed to have the political will to determine what were doable issues and what were not doable issues. She said this is essential for the future progress of bilateral ties.

Pakistan sees immense potential to normalise ties with India