"If India feels it is not yet the right time to talk, we can wait...but we will like to see this engagement to resume as quickly as possible. We will also like to feel comfortable to talk to Pakistan," Basit said.
Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit on Wednesday hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to his country during the next SAARC meet would go beyond SAARC issues.
"The next summit will be in Pakistan and we hope that it will be a huge success because all SAARC leaders will be there. We have already started preparing for that summit and we hope that Mr Modi's visit to Pakistan will add more to it beyond the SAARC issues," Basit said.
The High Commissioner was speaking at an interactive session with the MCC Chamber of Commere and Industry.
He said the foreign secretary's visit to Pakistan was very positive as the two counries' leaders were able to interact after a certain gap.
"We at Pakistan think this visit will lead to some tangible results in resuming the dialogue process and sooner the better I will say," Basit said.
He said both countries should talk and India should feel comfortable in taking forward the dialogue process.
"If India feels it is not yet the right time to talk, we can wait...but we will like to see this engagement to resume as quickly as possible. We will also like to feel comfortable to talk to Pakistan," Basit said.
"We are also not in a hurry in that sense. But, we have to know we are two important countries in this region and by not talking they are not doing any service to our coming generations. Perhaps, we had failed in bringing our two countries toghther, but we should not let our future generations to fail on this behalf," he said.
The High Commissioner, however, felt that "it would have been far better" if India after the Mumbai attack would agree to Pakistan's proposal for a joint investigation".
"We had proposed a joint investigation immediately after the horrific incident. But things have now changed. I do not want to go into history as to what happened. We are very serious and the prosecution is earnest. So let's hope things will come to a logical conclusion," he said.
"As I say terrorism is a huge problem for us. You may have a 26/11, but we face these tragedies almost everyday in Pakistan.
"Terrorism is our common problem, our common issue. So rather than blaming and counter-blaming as well as accusing, we should cooperate and I think it's time has come," Basit said.
The envoy was speaking at a special session 'Enhancing Indo-Pak trade and economic cooperation' organised by the MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today.
Talking about the release of top separatist leader Masarat Alam, Basit said, "I will not like to comment on that because I think in your own media there are divergent views on this. And I think from what I get from the media again that the legal position both in J&K and New Delhi is such that he could be kept behind bars."
On inviting Syed Ali Shah Geelani for the Pakistan Day on March 23, Basit claimed that it had almost been a custom to invite Indian friends as well as those in Kashmir on the occasion and urged not to "make an issue out of a non-issue".
"March 23rd is our national day. We have been inviting all our Indian friends and Kashmiri friends as well to that reception. There is nothing new about it... It's not something unprecedented."
"Let's focus on substantive issues, how we can resolve our problems rather than making an issue which has been a non-issue in the past," he said.
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