Lahore, June 15 (IANS) Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has stressed that Pakistan and India should resolve through dialogue all contentious issues, including the core issue of Kashmir, to establish peace.
Shaukat Aziz said this while addressing the inaugural session of a seminar, "Muslim-Sikh relations in the historical perspective", Online news agency reported Thursday.
The prime minister said Pakistan and India had significant standing among other countries of the world. Peace will remain elusive in the world unless it is established in these two countries, he said.
Therefore, Pakistan and India will have to take the course of dialogue to settle all contentious issues, including Kashmir, Aziz added.
He said Islamabad sincerely wanted to have peace. "We hope India will also demonstrate such warmth and flexibility in sorting out problems."
Aziz said aerial, rail and land routes were operational between the two countries and Islamabad wanted more routes to be opened after related issues were discussed and solved.
Paying rich tributes to founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak, the prime minister said the spiritual leader proved through his words and deeds that the world could be transformed into a cradle of peace with love and fraternity.
Aziz said he would be happy if more Sikhs came to Pakistan to see how their holy places were being protected. "Pakistan is their home and they can come here from across the world whenever they want to," he said.
A Sikh delegation had sought permission for allowing 5,000 Sikhs to come to Pakistan to attend the seminar.
Aziz announced that a commemorative stamp of Rs.5 denomination was being issued as demanded by the Sikh community. A university in memory of Guru Nanak will also be set up, he said.
The seminar was organised by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
Minister for Religious Affairs Ejaz Ul Haq, chief of the Parbandhak Committee Sardar Bashan Singh and professor Roshan Singh of the Panjab University, India also spoke in the seminar. Several other political and religious leaders were present on the occasion.