Pakistani High commissioner to India, Shahid Malik on Sunday 20 April, 2008 in sharp diplomatic maneuver remarked that Pakistan does not require US aid to talk to India. Mr. Malik made this remark in response to a speech by former US Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill at the first International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)-Citi India Global Forum, New Delhi.   

 

The Pakistani High Commissioner was probably irked by the statement of Mr. Blackwill that Pakistan’s future despite the encouraging democracy is still uncertain and it would have a great impact on India and the US. The Indian and US government hence according to Blackwill can talk in a very private way about the subject. Mr. Malik stated that India and Pakistan are quite capable of talking to each other without any third party intervention.

 

Shahid Malik in his speech added that composite dialogue between the two neighbors is back on track and Indian External Affairs minister, Pranab Mukherjee will be taking the talks further by his visit to Pakistan next month. Similarly, recently former Pakistan Army General and Ambassador to the US, General Jahangir Karamat emphasized that any India-Pakistan dialogue is far more important than any dialogue with Washington.