India will enter talks with Pakistan with open mind: PM

Jammu, Mar 4: Maintaining that India will enter talks with Pakistan with an open mind Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday, Mar 4 said that the country wants to resolve all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, through dialogue and purposeful negotiations.

He also asked Pakistan to take resolute action against extremist groups operating in the country and leave no stone unturned in bringing to book perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks.

Referring to his recent statement in Parliament that the sub-continent will not realise its full development potential unless relations between India and Pakistan are normalised, he said, "Despite all problems, we have decided to resume the dialogue process".

"We will enter these talks with open mind. We wish to resolve all outstanding issues between two countries through friendly dialogues and purposeful negotiations. And this includes the issue of Jammu and Kashmir", he said in his address to the third Convocation of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology (SKUAST).

Voicing concern over the activities of extremist groups in Pakistan, he said, "We cannot forget what happened in Mumbai. I urge the Government of Pakistan to leave no stone unturned to bring the culprits (of Mumbai attacks) to book."

"But I believe that there is a growing conviction in Pakistan, among the thinking segments of the population that something serious needs to be done to curb the influence of these groups on Pakistani society and polity", he said.

"I urge Pakistan to take strong and resolute action against these groups that is in the interest of Pakistan, the region and the world at large", Singh said.

PTI