Pak eager to sit across table

NEW DELHI: Even as India ruled out resuming the dialogue process with Pakistan, Islamabad has once again urged New Delhi to resolve bilateral issues through dialogue.

Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a congratulatory message to external affairs minister S M Krishna said Pakistan wanted to resolve all bilateral issues with India through dialogue. Mr Qureshi further said he looked forward to meeting Mr Krishna to discuss both bilateral and regional issues.

���I wish to take this opportunity to reiterate that Pakistan remains committed to the pursuit of cordial and mutually beneficial relations with India and resolve all bilateral issues through dialogue and in a peaceful and cooperative environment,��� he said in the congratulatory message.

New Delhi has already ruled out resuming the dialogue process with Islamabad until there is forward movement on punishing the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks. Both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mr Krishna have reiterated this position and sought credible action from Pakistan. India has also said enough evidence had been given to Pakistan to proceed against those behind the Mumbai attacks.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani foreign minister met India���s high commissioner to Pakistan, Sharat Sabharwal, in Islamabad on Monday and hoped that the new government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would resume the composite dialogue process, which was paused by India after the Mumbai terror attacks.

Pakistani media further said Mr Qureshi told the high commissioner that ���cordial and better��� relations between Pakistan and India would be beneficial for the people of both the countries and the region. He also reiterated Pakistan���s commitment to ���to bringing the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks to justice at all cost���.
The congratulatory message from the Pakistani foreign minister was one of many received by Mr Krishna, who formally took charge as external affairs minister on Monday.

Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi in his congratulatory message to Mr Krishna has said China wanted to ���push forward��� bilateral ties. ���I am ready to work closely with Your Excellency to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of both the countries, and push forward the continuous, stable and sound development of bilateral relations,��� Mr Yang said. He further said China and India were ���important neighbours��� and Beijing attached importance to furthering ties between India and China.