Senior Pakistan official says dialogue offer to India always on table

A top Pakistan military official has said Pakistan’s offer to India for dialogue always remained on the table and underscored that any progress towards normalisation was dependent on the attitude of the two sides to the process.

Director General of the Inter-Services Public Rela­tions Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor made the remarks on Monday while speaking at a media briefing, reports Dawn news.

“To normalise ties we would have to review many things, we would have to introspect, and for moving forward both sides would have to show positivity,” Ghafoor said and added that there was no space for war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The military spokesman, who was speaking to the media for the first time since Pakistan and India renewed their 2003 ceasefire agreement last week, stressed the need for honouring the understanding.

He said Pakistan “may not even respond to the first bullet as long as it does not cause any casualty, but the second one would not go unresponded”.

“ We expect India to take this (ceasefire renewal) forward in a positive manner instead of reverting to violations,” the spokesman added.