New Delhi: With Pakistan offering a dialogue with India on the Kashmir issue, India — in a stinging rebuke that virtually turned down Islamabad’s proposal — said that while it would “welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations” this includes “a stoppage of Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism”.
By this statement that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) put out on Saturday evening, New Delhi has amply made it clear to Islamabad that the issue of terror remains the top priority for India.
Later in the evening in what is being seen as yet another strong message to Pakistan that dialogue has to be linked to action on terrorism, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said India “cannot agree that dialogue with sponsors and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard” and that “addressing the terrorism challenge is central to engagement”.
In response to a statement by Sartaj Aziz, advisor on foreign affairs, government of Pakistan that Pakistan would invite India for a dialogue on J&K, the MEA official spokesperson in New Delhi said, “India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations.
“At this time they include a stoppage of Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism, infiltration of terrorists like Bahadur Ali, incitement to violence and terrorism across the border, parading of internationally recognised terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, and sincere follow up on the Mumbai attack trial and the Pathankot attack investigation in Pakistan.”
In a remark at a book launch, Ms. Swaraj said, “Among the issues that dominate global concerns today is the threat of terrorism. As you all know, it is an issue which has confronted Indian diplomacy for many years because of its cross-border manifestation. Unlike in the past, we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsors and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard.”
