Bhutto believed dialogue key to peace in S. Asia: Envoy

London, Dec.17 (ANI): Pakistan's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, has said that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto wanted Islamabad and New Delhi to engage in a series of dialogue aimed at burying the past and building a future free of terrorism, extremism and militancy in South Asia.

"She inherited this desire to build peace with honour from her father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who signed the Simla Agreement with late Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi," the daily Times quoted Hasan as saying during an address at a memorial reference for Benazir organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Third World Solidarity at the House of Commons.

Hasan said Benazir wanted leaders of the two countries to realize that disputes between the two countries should not spill over into acts of violence and terrorism.

As prime minister, Benazir signed South Asian Preferential Tariff Agreement with her Indian counterpart Rajiv Gandhi hoping to find peace in the region through a common market on the lines of the European Union, Hasan said.

Lord Nazir: Speaking on the occasion, British parliamentarian Lord Nazir Ahmed called for proper investigation into the assassination of Benazir, saying her untimely death had robbed Pakistan of a great leader who evoked hopes for a better future among her countrymen.

Glasgow parliamentarian Muhammad Sarwar recalled how devastated he was on hearing the tragic news of Benazir's death last December, when he was in Pakistan as a member of the election monitoring committee.

Sarwar said he had conveyed to Benazir his concerns about her security but she had replied how could they kill their own daughter who was bringing to them hope, confidence and desire.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi recalled how Benazir accepted her invitation to visit her hometown of Dewsbury in northern England to help launch a charity whose work focused on rural areas of Punjab.

"She came all the way from Dubai and delivered an amazing non-political address which captivated the audience," said the baroness, who admitted the late Pakistani leader played a huge part in inspiring her to join British politics.

Benazir Bhutto's classmate at Oxford University and author Victoria Schofield reminisced about their days together as students and said their friendship over the past 30 years had remained strong. (ANI)