Internal Pak situation responsible for setback to peace process

Srinagar, Sep 9 (UNI) The internal situation in the neighbouring country was responsible for the temporary set back to peace process, started by India and Pakistan to address all their outstanding issues amicably, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

Talking to a delegation from Northern Ireland about the policy being pursued by the Central government in conjecture with the state government to address the problem, Mr Azad said the dialogue initiated with Pakistan was on the right track.

''But, the internal situation in the neighbouring country, has led to suffer a temporary setback,'' he noted.

He said so far as India was concerned, everything was in line including visit of Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister to Pakistan. However, following the situation in the aftermath of sacking of the Chief Justice and the resultant political uncertainty in Pakistan, the dialogue process between the two countries had dropped pace, he noted, hoping the situation there would soon be normal to let the two neighbours pick up threads from where these had been left before March this year, adding that Pakistan's cooperation was very crucial for lasting peace in the region.

The Chief Minister informed the delgation, headed by former Speaker of Assembly and Member Independent Monitoring Commission, Northern Ireland, Lord Alderdice, that along side with opening the channel of peace and reconciliation with Pakistan, the government had started dialogue with political parties and groups in Jammu and Kashmir.

UNI