Islamabad, June 1

President Mamnoon Hussain today accused India of “running away” from talks despite Pakistan’s offer of joint-probe in the Pathankot terror attack, even as he raked up the Kashmir issue, calling it an “unfinished agenda of partition” and the main cause of regional tension.Addressing the joint session of the parliament, Hussain said: “Despite Pakistan’s efforts for resumption of talks (with India) and its offer of joint probe in the Pathankot attack, the Foreign Secretary-level talks are still suspended. Pakistan is concerned about it.”“We believe the main cause of tension in the region is the Kashmir issue. It is part of unfinished agenda of partition of the sub-continent. Unless Kashmir issue is settled according to the wishes of people of Kashmir and UN resolutions, the problems of this region cannot be resolved,” he said.He said Pakistan was a peaceful country and wants its foreign policy to be based on friendship and brotherhood with all nations.“We do not wish to be aggressive towards any nation and intend to participate with honesty in national and global affairs,” he said.The President said Pakistan wanted peaceful ties with all neighbours by addressing disputes through talks and accused India of “running away from talks with Pakistan”.He said democracy had been strengthened in the country and it can now resist and absorb different kinds of crises. — PTI

US calls for restraint

• Washington: Voicing concern that India-Pakistan conflict could escalate to include nuclear weapons, the US has asked the two nation to engage in a “sustained” bilateral dialogue and exercise “maximum restraint”. “We are concerned by nuclear and missile developments in S-Asia,” a State Department spokesperson said on recent statement of Dr AQ Khan, father of Pakistan’s N-programme, that Islamabad had the ability to target New Delhi in five minutes

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