Pakistan committed to improving ties with India, says envoy

Pakistan is committed to improving bilateral ties with India to resolve issues such as poverty, illiteracy and disease, its envoy said Saturday.

"We hope relations between the two countries will improve and if both sides have the will, then there is no reason our issues such as poverty, illiteracy and disease cannot be resolved," Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit told the media in the national capital.

He added "Pakistan is always committed to improving ties to resolve the issues."

The Pakistani envoy's statement came in the wake of the ongoing tensions between the two countries over ceasefire violations along the international border in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

India has accused Pakistan of unprovoked firing and warned of effective and forceful response to such ceasefire violations and cross-border terrorism.

The tensions between the two countries came over a week after prime ministers of the two countries held a bilateral meeting in the Russian city of Ufa and issued a joint statement, pledging to hold talks to resolve outstanding issues. Endi