Krishna hopes to see a stable Pakistan

Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna on Friday arrived in Islamabad on a three-day visit to Pakistan to hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar, saying he had come with a mandate for building trust and confidence between the two countries. “I wish to reiterate the desire of India to see a stable and prosperous Pakistan living in peace with itself and the world. That would be in the best interest of everyone,” Mr. Krishna said in an arrival statement. The minister said leadership of India and Pakistan have mandated building of trust and confidence between the two countries. “We are committed to finding solutions of all issues that have beset our relationship through peaceful bilateral dialogue,” he said. Mr. Krishna stressed: “We look to the future where our two countries are able to live together in an atmosphere of friendliness and all-round cooperation free from terror and violence.” Speaking about the objective of his visit, Mr. Krishna said, “My endeavour during this visit will be to promote the objectives that I have just mentioned“. The minister was received at the airport by Pakistan High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir and Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal. Mr. Krishna will call on Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf later in the day. He will also hold meeting with leaders from various Pakistan political parties. While no substantive outcome is expected from the visit, both the countries are likely to sign a new liberalised visa agreement, which would be a boost for people-to-people contact.