BJP chides govt for going soft on Pakistan

The Bharatiya Janata Party has warned the government against making any unilateral concession to Pakistan in order to improve bilateral relations.

The concessions, like withdrawal from the Siachen, will not be in national interest, Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the party's foreign cell, asserted on Tuesday, March 25.

He said though the BJP has welcomed all efforts to improve people-to-people contact between the nations it is against giving any unilateral concession to Pakistan.

He said India should not exhibit any sign of weakness by making any ''unilateral gesture'' and reminded the government about Pakistan's refusal to provide visas to Indian journalists who wanted to cover the Organisation of Islamic Conference summit in Islamabad.

He said statements by Pakistani president and prime minister at the OIC had amply demonstrated that Pakistan has scant regard for normalising relations with India.

The recent killing of seven Kashmiri pundits by militants has also shown that Pakistan is still abetting and aiding secessionist elements in the valley, he claimed.

While reiterating the party's stand that the government must go by the resolution of Parliament on Kashmir, passed on February 22, 1994, Mishra said the opportunity provided by the talks should be availed to warn Pakistan to desist from ''pursuing and supporting its terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir''.

He said Pakistan should also be made to understand during the talks that ''Seeking to apply pressure on India, whether through the OIC or any other organisation or country, is a highly counter-productive strategy and will not get it anywhere.''

Only talks with India, on the basis of the Simla Agreement, would contribute to a gradual normalisation of the Indo-Pakistani relations, Mishra said.

UNI