India on Thursday said it would like to have good relations with all its neighbours, including Pakistan provided they are sensitive and responsive to its concerns.
Responding to a question on Pakistan Army chief's statement asking its Members of Parliament to build good relations with India, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said like any other neighbour India wants good relations with Pak also. But Pak has to understand India's core concerns with regard to terrorism.
“like any good neighbour, we do desire good neighbourly relations with the country which is next to us,” Raveesh said while asserting Islamabad needs to take immediate action against terror groups operating from its soil for improvement in the bilateral relationship.
“It is important for Pakistan to understand our core concern, which is terrorism. We have time and again asked them to take action against terrorists who are operating from their soil. This is something they will have to handle if they are serious in cultivating this friendship,” Raveesh added.
In a surprise gesture, the Pak Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa during a session with the Senate Committee reportedly said the military is ready to back political leadership's initiative for normalisation of relations with India. Relations have suffered strains following repeated terror attacks on Indian security installations. Besides, India feels Islamabad has not done enough to eliminate terror camps from its soil that are trying to destablise Kashmir.
Responding to another question with regard to Pak National Security Advisor Nasir Janjua's statement that possibility of nuclear war cannot be ruled out in South Asia, Raveesh said that the government has got used to such alarmist comments from the Pak side. Meanwhile, MEA said that it will be taking up the issue of forceful conversion of Sikhs in Pakistan. MEA said that Pak should follow international obligations with regard to safety and security of its minority communities.