Asserting that Islamabad was committed to pursuing peace with New Delhi, Pakistan Prime Minister Shujaat Hussain on Tuesday said that with a "vision and will" his country had embarked upon making "meaningful efforts" to resolve all differences and disputes with India, including Jammu and Kashmir.
"We are satisfied that Pakistan and India have begun talks. We assure all members of SAARC that Pakistan is committed to pursuing peace with India," Hussain said at the inaugural session of 25th SAARC Ministerial meet.
He said Pakistan had the "vision and will" under the leadership of President Pervez Musharraf.
The Pakistan prime minister said SAARC should be a 'symbol of peace and prosperity not only to ensure stability in South Asia but also win hearts and minds of people of the region'.
SAARC, Hussain said, must continue to pay more attention to development of transport and communication facilities for greater cooperation in the region.
He believed efforts to create South Asian Development Bank will lead to increase in economic development in the
region.
Hussain expressed the hope that the result of the SAARC ministerial meet will create necessary atmosphere for promoting cooperation in the field of Information Technology and telecommunication.
He said Pakistan had resolved that poverty 'must not and will not be the destiny of our people'.
He noted that China had expressed keenness to associate closely with SAARC and said it was a welcome development.
Hussain said the SAARC Summit held in January in Islamabad had proved to be a "major milestone" towards a new
era of mutually-beneficial cooperation among member states.
"It is responsibility of collective leadership to find political solutions to problems faced by our people in daily lives," the Pakistan prime minister said. "This is our duty and should be our mission."
