Despite India-Pakistan relations taking a nosedive in the last one year following a series of terror strikes across military installations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday said, India will continue engaging with its neighbour. However, through the surgical strikes India has conveyed that terrorism cannot be the new norm in the India-Pakistan relationship and talks and terror cannot go together.
Minister of State MEA MJ Akbar said that India's message through surgical strikes was clearly conveyed and the world accepted New Delhi's position. He added that there was near consensus on this that sponsorship of terrorism cannot be accepted.
"Engagement with Pakistan needs to continue. As (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee said, we can't change neighbours. We cannot change our neighbours but deal with them with eyes open and mind not closed. Hope Pakistan will see path of reason," Akbar said adding India always wanted good neighbourly relationship with Pakistan which was demonstrated from Day One since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge. "And the intention of that has not changed even today. But we cannot have peaceful relations with the spray of bullets. Terror is not conducive for talks. let there be peace, there will be dialogue," Akbar said.
Acknowledging Pakistan as the `mothership of terrorism' in the region, the Government hoped that someday Islamabad will see reason and refrain from promoting cross border terrorism.
"All the countries of the region, barring one, have demonstrated their willingness to stand together against the menace of terrorism that could undermine their collective hopes. India too, has shown that we will not back down in the face of assaults against the security of our people, the prosperity of the region and the interests of the international community. The aim of the surgical strikes that we conducted was to convey to Pakistan that we will not countenance continued terrorism as the new normal in our relationship. Our own good faith has been amply demonstrated time and again through repeated initiatives to normalize the relationship. However, as we have often stated, talks and terror cannot go together," MoS MEA Gen (Rtd) VK Singh said in a joint press conference with Akbar.
Talking about the latest dynamics in India-Russia relationship given the fact Moscow is increasing its engagement with Pak at various levels, the ministers were confident that nothing can dent the bonding that India shares with Russia. I"ndia-Russia relationship is time-tested and it will stand the test of time. We are absolutely confident that Russia will not do anything that is injurious to us," Akbar said.
However, on the latest consultations between Russia-China-Pakistan with regard to Afghanistan, the government made it clear it will support arrangements that are Afghan-istan-driven and controlled.