Indian parliament for terror-free ties with Pakistan: Meira Kumar

ISLAMABAD: Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar Wednesday told Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani there was consensus in the Indian parliament on forging a relationship of trust and cooperation with Pakistan "in an atmosphere free of terror and violence".
Kumar, the first Lok Sabha Speaker to visit Pakistan, made the remarks at a reception hosted by Gilani for a visiting Indian parliamentary delegation led by her.
India, she said, wished to see a "stable, peaceful and prosperous Pakistan".
"There was consensus in the Indian parliament on building a relationship of trust and mutually beneficial cooperation between India and Pakistan in an atmosphere free of terror and violence," Kumar was quoted as saying in a statement issued by her office.
"Such a relationship would be to the benefit of people of both countries and contribute to prosperity in the region," she said.
Kumar said the people of India desire a strong friendship with their Pakistani counterparts.
"I will tell the people of India that the people of Pakistan reciprocate their desire for friendship," she remarked.
In his address, Gilani said it was "his cherished desire to have a constructed sustainable and result-oriented dialogue with India".
Such a dialogue is necessary for "permanent and solid relations" and will also usher in development and prosperity in the region, he added.
Pakistan is a peace loving country that wants good relations with all its neighbors, including India, Gilani said.
He noted that the first round of the resumed India-Pakistan dialogue was held last year and expressed the hope that the second round of talks this year would "bear fruits". .
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