India slams Pakistan

Rejecting Pakistan High Commissioner, Abdul Basit’s explanation over his meeting with the Kashmiri separatists, India slammed Pakistan and said Pakistan should respect past truce declarations to maintain peace in the region.

“After 1972 and the signing of the Simla Agreement by the Prime Minister of India and Prime Minister of Pakistan, there are only two ‘stakeholders’ on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir – the Union of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. This is a principle which is the bedrock of our bilateral relations. This was reaffirmed in the Lahore Declaration of 1999 between PM Nawaz Sharif and PM Vajpayee,” a statement issued by the MEA said.

“Pakistan assured us, at the highest level, that they were committed to a peaceful dialogue on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and would not allow Pakistan or territories under its control to be used for terrorism against us… We know now, particularly after the Mumbai terror attacks and the manner in which Pakistan has pursued subsequent investigations and trials, that this assurance had no meaning and that an approach that is different to the one laid down by the Simla Agreement and Lahore Declaration does not yield results,” the statement added.

The Narendra Modi government had called off Foreign Secretary-level meeting with Pakistan on Monday in protest against the meetings held by Basit with Kashmiri separatists in Delhi despite India’s objection.

Meanwhile, Congress launched attack on the government over calling off talks with Pakistan.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said, “The question is why they started it in the first place. They have followed an opaque and incoherent foreign policy towards Pakistan.”

“BJP and Modi had taken an extreme view on our relations with Pakistan and had been castigating the UPA every now and then…Composite dialogue was not restored after India suspended it after Mumbai terror attacks. We wonder what was the basis and understanding due to which the decision to initiate such a dialogue was taken,” he added.

Congress leader Manish Tewari said the government has “completely walked itself into a corner”.

“So they first agreed to talk to Pakistan, that also in Islamabad, notwithstanding all this background. The government was in sonorous slumber and when there was a protest, it woke up and indulged in a knee-jerk reaction,” Tiwari said, adding, “Now with the separatists challenging the government and the Pakistan High Commissioner cocking a dare at the government that they are still going ahead with their proposed interactions, what does Government of India do the next? What is the strategy of the Government of India towards Pakistan.”

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