Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Doctor TCA Raghavan said on Wednesday that India wants good relations with all its neighbours including Pakistan. Economically stable Pakistan is in our interest, he added. He said India could never sustain a high economic growth if neighbours are unstable.
In a speech in a seminar organised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), he said lack of trust is the biggest hurdle between the implementation of agreements in letter and spirit between Pakistan and India. He also said the Indus Water Treaty succeeded because it was negotiated by technical people as it was very much technical problem.
The diplomat admitted that there are serious problems existing between India and Pakistan, including the core issue of Kashmir. He said, "We have to find the ways to solve the issues. Both Pakistan and India have taken different positions on Kashmir issue. The civil societies of both sides can play a vibrant role by putting pressure on both governments for establishing peace in the region. The civil society activism is no doubt its role in spreading peace, in India the civil society activism is one step ahead as it is leading to the political activism."
He also urged Pakistan and India to release captured fishermen from prisons who were caught due to mistakenly entering the sea limits on both sides. He said more multiple entry visas are being issued to the citizens of Pakistan than past years and admitted that the visa process is too lengthy but it is only for the safety of people from both sides.
In response to a question about cease-fire violations on the Line of Control, he said one should never extract the conclusion with knowing only one aspect as the Indian media blamed Pakistan for cease-fire violation. From 2004 to 2009 very less cease-fire violations were held among both countries, he said.