An Indian intellectual, columnist and Chairman Council for Foreign Policy Dr V.P. Vaidik has expressed the optimism that Pak-India ties would get a boost after the installation of new government in Pakistan as the leadership in India wants to have good relations with Pakistan.
Dr V P Vaidik was talking to LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar on Wednesday. He said that Indian people were quite happy over the victory of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in the recent general elections. He said that he was in favour of Pak-India trade as he believed that the trade would bring the two sides more close to each other and help resolve challenges being faced by the two countries.
Vaidik said that political leadership of India wished to have good relations with Pakistan and was hopeful that newly elected leadership in Pakistan would make headway regarding problems of the region, in particular, for improvement of relations and talks between India and Pakistan.
He said that they also understood that talks should be held on all issues, including the issues of Kashmir and water so that matters could move ahead. He said that Indian government was ready for taking process of talks with Pakistan forward. He said that he had always been in favour of talks but these should be fruitful and on real issues. He said that Pakistan should grant MFN status to India for the sake of the people living in the two countries.
Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar said that the Indian Non-Tariff Barriers are the biggest hurdle in the way of trade between Pakistan and India. He said that the both the governments need to take Confidence Building Measures as the deficit of trust is not allowing the peace process to move ahead.
He said that Pakistani businessmen understood India as a window of opportunity but the opportunity remained untapped because of the presence of core issues between Pakistan and India. He said that gesture given by Prime Minister in waiting Muhammad Nawaz Sharif would help normalise relations between the two neighbouring countries that have huge trade potential.