New Delhi: Asserting that the future of Indo-Pak relations did not lie in the past, New Delhi today (Jun 6, 2004) said it would be carried forward with Islamabad in every area and contacts would be further intensified.

This was conveyed to Pakistan Foreign Minister Khursheed Mohammed Kasuri by External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh during a telephonic conversation at the former's initiative, the second in last three days, official sources said.

Singh told Kasuri that in keeping with the well articulated policy of the Government, the dialogue process with Pakistan will be carried forward in every area and contacts would be further intensified.

Singh said both sides had "vested interests" in promoting bilateral relations, according to the sources.

"We hold Pakistani leadership in the highest esteem," the External Affairs Minister said and added that the future of Indo-Pak relations did not lie in the past.

During the conversation, Singh also quoted an Urdu couplet "kuch nahi to kam se kam, Khwab-e-sher dekha hai; jis taraf dekha na tha ab tak, us taraf dekha hai (at least we are seeing a happy dream, a dream towards which we did not see for till now). This gesture of Singh was appreciated by the Pakistani Foreign Minister.

Singh and Kasuri agreed that distortions in the media should be ignored, the sources added.