Modi wants Pakistan to create terror-free climate for talks

UNITED NATIONS: Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi during his address to the General Assembly of the United Nations on Saturday stressed that Pakistan will have to create terrorism-free climate for resumption of negotiations.

“We desire serious dialogue for enhancing friendship and cooperation with Pakistan,” Narendra Modi said from the floor of the UN.

He said his government from day one spoke in favour of improving ties and boosting cooperation with the neighbouring country.

However, he categorically said that raising disputes in the UN was not going to resolve the issues, adding, Pakistan also needs to fulfill its part for engaging in cordial relations.

The Indian premier said he had offered assistance for flood-hit people in both Indian held Kashmir and Pakistani Kashmir.

Modi said no major wars were taking place in the world but it was largely being affected by some big issues.

He stressed upon the UN members’ moving with hand-in-hand for fulfillment of the cause of world peace, security and human rights. “We will have to move beyond G-4 and G-8. We should now move towards G-All,” he asserted.

Narendra Modi said India stands with the world community for the elimination of terrorism.

He said every member state will have to fulfill its responsibility towards dealing with the challenges of poverty and unemployment. “Even today billions of people are entangled in the mire of misery and poverty,” he added.

AFP adds: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Pakistan needed to show more "seriousness" to resume dialogue between the historic adversaries.

"I do want to hold bilateral talks with them, but it is Pakistan´s duty to come forward with all seriousness and create an atmosphere," Modi said in his first speech before the UN General Assembly.

Modi questioned his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif for highlighting the longstanding Kashmir dispute in his own UN speech a day earlier.

"By raising this, I don´t know how serious our effort will be, and some people are doubtful," Modi said.

"Instead, today we should be thinking about the victims of floods on Jammu and Kashmir," the prime minister added, using the full name of the Indian state.

Modi reiterated his offer to assist flood victims on the Pakistani side of the divided Himalayan territory.

PM Nawaz Sharif in his yesterday's address to UNGA said:

Nawaz Sharif criticized India in his address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Friday for withdrawing from planned peace talks last month over the disputed region of Kashmir.

"We were disappointed at the cancellation of the foreign secretary-level talks by India," Sharif told the 193 member countries of the General Assembly.

"The world community, too, rightly saw it as another missed opportunity," he said. (Geo/AFP/Reuters)