Jaishankar to present India’s views on Afghan peace process

New Delhi, Mar 30: External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar is likely to present India's view on the Afghan peace process later today.

Jaishankar is in Tajikistan and will hold meetings with leaders of the Central Asian States.

Jaishankar will today come face to face with his Pakistan counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi at Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

The two leaders would be taking part in a meeting on Afghanistan. On March 30, the two ministers will be taking part in the Heart of Asia conference in Dushanbe, where the future of Afghanistan would be discussed. However there is no word of a bi-lateral during the meet.

There have been several positive developments when it comes to relations between India and Pakistan in the past few months. Pakistan Army, General Qamar Javed Bajwa said that it is time for both India and Pakistan to bury the past and moved forward.

He said that the potential for regional peace and development always remained hostage to the disputes and issued between the two countries. We feel it is time to bury the past and move forward. The responsibility for a meaningful dialogue rested with India, the General also said.

His statements come after Pakistan's Prime Minister, Imran Khan made similar overtures towards India.

Khan said that India would benefit economically by having peace with Pakistan. He said that this would enable New Delhi to directly access the resource rich Central Asia region through Pakistan territory.

"India will have to take the first step. Unless they do so, we cannot do much," Khan said while delivering the inaugural address at the launch of the two-day Dialogue.

Our neighbour will have to create a conducive environment, particularly in Kashmir, Gen Bajwa said. He also said that any effort to improve ties without addressing the core issue would be vulnerable to external political factors.

"The Kashmir issue is at the heart of this. It is important to understand that without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute through peaceful means, the process will always remain susceptible to derailment to politically motivated bellicosity," he also said.

India had last month said that it desires normal relations with Pakistan in a terror free environment. Officials tell OneIndia that the onus would be on Pakistan to create an environment that is free from terror, hostility and violence.