Pak says India 'hesitant' to resume dialogue process

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan today said India appears to be "hesitating" over the resumption of the stalled peace process due to its "internal political situation" and insisted that dialogue is the only way forward for the two countries.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in a wide-ranging interview to a TV news channel, also ruled out the possibility of Pakistan acting on advice from the West to shift troops from the Indian border to focus on the campaign against militancy along the Afghan frontier, terming it as Islamabad's "internal decision".

Besides, he dispelled the impression that there is a deadlock between India and Pakistan over New Delhi's call for Islamabad to take action against outlawed JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed for his links to the Mumbai attacks and demanded "legally tenable evidence" against the LeT founder.

On resumption of the bilateral peace process, Qureshi said: "At this point, if anyone is seen to be hesitating, it is India. Their internal political situation is putting a lot of pressure on them. As far as Pakistan is concerned, it is ready to engage."

The countries in the region desire the normalisation of relations between Pakistan and India, he said.

"Pakistan has clearly said that we understand dialogue is the only way forward. Pakistan is ready to engage (India) and Pakistan is ready to sit at the table," he said.