—Tribune file photo

New York/Islamabad, April 15

NEW YORK/ISLAMABAD: India is “not forthcoming” in resuming comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan and such an attitude is “impeding” prospects of normalisation of bilateral relations, Pakistan’s envoy to the UN has said, while in Islamabad, the Pakistan foreign office rejected a notion that the peace process was suspended, saying it remained engaged with New Delhi.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi told a group of students and faculty members from the US Army War College last week that despite a positive start following the coming to power of the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India suspended talks between the two countries on “flimsy grounds and set unacceptable pre-conditions” for their revival.

According to a press release by the Pakistan Mission at the UN, Lodhi said in spite of Pakistan’s call to resume broad-based, comprehensive dialogue, “India was still not forthcoming”.

In Islamabad, Foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria during a weekly media briefing, said: “We need to look ahead and not think in terms of foreclosing any options. Both sides are in contact with each other.”

The spokesman was referring to media reports quoting Pakistan’s High Commissioner in India Abdul Basit as having said that the peace process was “suspended”, Dawn online reported on Friday.

“Dialogue is the best option. Diplomacy is for interaction and engagement between countries,” Zakaria said.

Last December, the two countries had agreed to restart the peace dialogue, which was named Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue.

It was agreed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise stopover in Lahore on Christmas Day that the foreign secretaries would meet to decide the schedule and other details of the first round of talks.

However, the plan for re-engagement after a hiatus of two years was affected by the Pathankot attack in January and the two countries have not been able to schedule the foreign secretaries’ meeting since. Zakaria said the meeting would take place once the “modalities” have been settled. —IANS/PTI