ISLAMABAD- Pakistan would welcome the third-party facilitation by Saudi Arabia or any other country for resumption of talks with India, said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday.
During a press conference in Islamabad, the foreign minister said: “Pakistan is ready for third-party facilitation. It is India that has always shied away from it."
Qureshi maintained Saudi Arabia is the friend of Pakistan and also has business ties with India, which is a big importer of Saudi oil.
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“If Saudi Arabia wants to play a role (in facilitating talks), we will welcome it,” he added.
He recalled that the ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India was welcomed by the world, including Saudi Arabia.
'No formal talks' so far
The foreign minister confirmed that there were “no formal talks” at the moment with India, however, he said if India wants it to make it happen, it “must take the first step forward”.
“If India wants a meaningful dialogue with Pakistan, it has to review its policy on Kashmir and undo the revocation of its special status,” he said.
He called upon India to give relief to the Kashmiri people, who have been suffering a 19-month-long military siege and the search and cordon operations, and thus “pave way for a conducive environment for talks”.
PM's recent visit to Saudi Arabia
On Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, he said it led to the development of a “positive understanding” at both sides that promoting their mutual relationship was a need of the hour.
He said besides agreement on investments, bilateral trade, and creation of job opportunities, the extraordinary development was putting in place for the first time an institutionalised mechanism with three pillars – security, economic and cultural and soft image, and chalking out who would be leading the respective areas.
“This Saudi visit was different in the sense that it defeated the designs of the elements that were trying to create a wedge between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Now, it is win-win cooperation,” he said.  (GEO News)