Pakistan wants peace with India - Zardari

US: Pakistan hopes to open new dialogue with India’s new government and to realize peace with the neighboring country, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said here on Tuesday.

“Democracies have never gone to war,” Zardari told CNN on the eve of a tripartite summit with U.S. President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Stressing that “we have always wanted peace,” Zardari noted that “I’m waiting for the elections (of India) to be over so all this rhetoric is over and I can start a fresh dialogue with the Indian government.” India is holding general elections with counting of votes being made on May 16.

New Delhi and Islamabad have long been in tense relationship because of Kashmir territory conflict. Their ties turned from bad to worse after Islamic militants went on a bloody three-day rampage in Mumbai in November, killing 165 people.

However, U.S. President Barack Obama said last week that Pakistan’s military has recently started to overcome its “ obsession” with India, realizing that its “biggest threat right now comes internally.”

WASHINGTON, Wednesday, Xinhua