Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Meaningful dialogue only if Pak stops terror activities: India

March 22, 2010 17:29 IST

Maintaining that there have been 'grave provocations from Pakistan', India has said there meaningful dialogue could be held with the neighbouring nation only if it fulfils its commitment, in letter and spirit, not to allow its territory to be used in any manner for terrorist activities against it.

It also maintained that there were 'continuing concerns' on cross-border infiltration and ceasefire violations by Pakistan across the Line of Control and International Border.

The ministry of external affairs, in its annual report of 2009-2010, said the position that there can be a meaningful dialogue with Pakistan only if it fulfils its commitment, in letter and spirit, not to allow its territory to be used in any manner for terrorist activities against India, was reiterated on several occasions.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh conveyed the deep anger and hurt of the people of India due to the persistence of terror attacks on our people, urged Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani not to make any distinction between different terrorist organisations, and told him that operations of all terrorist groups that threaten India must permanently end," it said.

Despite the terror attack on Mumbai and following 'grave provocations from Pakistan', the people-to-people contacts were allowed to continue and the transport links established in the previous rounds of the Composite Dialogue continued to operate successfully, facilitating the movement of people and bilateral trade, noted the report.

Travel and trade on Srinagar-Muzafarrabad and Poonch-Rawalkot routes has been continuing and in addition, five points for on-foot crossing at Nauseri-Tithwal, Chakoti-Uri, Hajipur-Uri, Rawalkot-Poonch and Tattapani-Mendhar opened to facilitate humanitarian work after the earthquake in 2005, have also been allowed to operate as earlier, it said.

India has also 'strongly protested Pakistan government's announcement of a package in the form of so-called 'Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and self Governance Order-2009' in August last year and holding of 'elections' for the 'legislative assembly' of Gilgit-Baltistan in November last year."

New Delhi characterised "both these developments as nothing but cosmetic exercises intended to camouflage the fact of Pakistan's illegal occupation of areas of the state of Jammu and Kashmir."

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.