India, Pak should focus on result-orientated dialogue: Khar

Seoul, Mar.27 (ANI): Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Tuesday said a result-orientated dialogue would help India and Pakistan resolve their bilateral issues.

Speaking on the sidelines of the second Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, South Korea, Khar said that merely talking about reducing a trust deficit was not enough for the two neighbouring nations and its citizens.

"We should not just talk about reducing the trust deficit. We should engage in a result-orientated process of dialogue, so that our people can be confident of the resolution of our major issues coming through dialogue," Khar said.

Reflecting on a recent announcement made by her Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna, who said he would visit Pakistan in the summer, Khar added regional forums such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) needed to be strengthened as their focus had been hampered by strained ties.

"I would like to mention SAARC, because SAARC is an exceptionally important forum, which we feel has been held back rather than propelled forward by the India-Pakistan issues," added Khar.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since gaining independence in 1947 and remain deeply distrustful of each other.

For India, security is at the top of the agenda. Until now, it has refused to resume a series of talks until Pakistan takes more stringent action against Pakistan-based militant groups. In particular, India wants Pakistan to show it is serious in reining in the militants behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

For its part, Islamabad accuses New Delhi of backing separatists in its Baluchistan province and providing weapons and funding Pakistani Taliban groups, charges which India denies. (ANI)