All issues can be resolved: Pak

ISLAMABAD: A day after Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid M Kasuri remarked that India and Pakistan were close to reaching an agreement on Siachen, Islamabad on Monday said its hope of settlement of the issue was based on the belief that all differences between the two sides could be resolved.

“We believe that all issues between Pakistan and India, including Siachen and core issue of Jammu and Kashmir, are resolvable. If we did not believe that, there would not have been any point in dialogue which is under way. The foreign minister was speaking in that context. He feels optimistic that given the political will, Siachen can be resolved.

In 1989, the two countries came very close to signing an agreement,” foreign office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told reporters when asked about Kasuri’s statement. She said the two sides have held technical-level talks on Siachen but declined to say if any country moved from its stated position.

“There have been technical-level discussions. I would not go into whether any country moved from its position. I understand that these issues were discussed and will be discussed and the foreign minister did not say that we have reached an agreement. He said we are close and we can (resolve Siachen),” she said.

Kasuri in an interview here on Sunday had said, “I know we are very close to an agreement (on Siachen). It depends on political will and I hope that the PM and the foreign minister of India will show that political will.”