SM Krishna arrives with ‘message of peace’

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

ISLAMABAD: Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna on Wednesday arrived in Pakistan, saying that he brought a message of “peace and friendship”. “I am carrying with me a message of peace and friendship and we hope to undertake the voyage of peace, however long and arduous,” the Press Trust of India (PTI) quoted him as telling reporters in Islamabad. He was received at the PAF Chaklala Air Base by Pakistan’s ambassador to India, Shahid Malik. Krishna and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi are scheduled to meet today (Thursday) in the first foreign ministers’ talks since New Delhi suspended a four-year peace process after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Krishna is also scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani. “Pakistan must realise that India harbours no ill-will against it and the cancer of terrorism needs to be rooted out completely,” Krishna said. “There can be no selective efforts against this scourge. There is a clear and present danger from terrorist groups that needs to be appreciated and acted upon decisively,” he added. Krishna said he would press Pakistan on the progress of its probe into the Mumbai attacks. “We hope to discuss all issues of mutual interest and concerns that can contribute to restoring trust and building confidence in our bilateral relationship,” Krishna said. agencies