'Pakistan doesn't want war on Kashmir'

Islamabad, May 10: Pakistan Defence Minister Ch Ahmed Mukhtar has said that his country did not want war with India over the Kashmir issue, and the current status of ties between the two countries was the "best" they have ever had in six decades.

He said that instead of war, the two countries should focus on basic problems they were facing like food and power shortages. "We are having a very nice relationship with India, the best of the relationship we have ever had. The confidence-building measures are working very well and I think the defence of Pakistan today is much safer than five years ago," The Nation quoted Mukhtar as saying in an interview with a private TV channel.

Ruling out the possibility of a war on the Kashmir issue, the minister said the two countries had shown flexibility in their traditional stand on the issue. "I am sure that both the countries are showing flexibility from their traditional positions. We don't want to fight a war," he said, and added that the issue would be resolved only through the opening up of the borders and greater inter-mingling of Kashmiris from both sides.

He suggested India and Pakistan should focus on resolving the common problems they were facing, he said: "Today is the time for economic wars and we must prepare ourselves. There are other problems in Pakistan and India, there are food shortages, the oil problem, the electricity problem and these problems can't be solved if we are at war with each other."

"Pakistan was "trying to help India in the economic field. We are saying that we would like to buy gas from Iran and that pipeline will go to India, which is a big market. They will benefit and we will also benefit," he added.

ANI