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| Talks if Pak demonstrates willingness to fight terror: Krishna |
| Press Trust of India / New Delhi Jun 12, 2009, 13:37 IST |
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India has said it would talk to Pakistan if it takes "credible steps" to demonstrate its willingness to fight terror both "within and without".
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, however, suggested that Pakistan had not done enough to bring to justice the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks and highlighted the release of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed as a case in point.
"The very release of a known terrorist who was instrumental and masterminded the terrorist attack on India on 26/11 has certainly created doubts in us about the sincerity of Pakistan in dismantling the terror instrumentalities that have come up on the soil of Pakistan," he told Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate programme for CNN-IBN.
He said Pakistan could have made more serious attempts in fighting the case and "I believe that not enough was done in pursuing the case".
"That is what we expect from Pakistan. They should take some credible steps to convey to India that they are willing to fight terror both within and without," he said when asked whether New Delhi was expecting some reasonable movement from Islamabad to help resume dialogue.
"I think you have summed it up very well," Krishna said when asked if Pakistan responds well, India will be accommodating but if Pakistan is obstinate then India cannot be accommodating.
Krishna said the whole approach of Pakistan has become debatable in as far as dealing with terror is concerned.
He said the release of Saeed was one of the important landmarks and "the way he was released and the way Pakistan government took that release and have not followed it up by preferring an appeal show that they are not serious about pursuing the perpetrators of that (26/11) attack on India."
On Britain holding back consent for declaring Masood Azhar and Azam Cheema as terrorists under a UN resolution, Krishna said, "I think the United Kingdom ought to have been more circumspect in dealing with this particular aspect."
He rubbished suggestions that India was being pressurised by the US to resume dialogue with Pakistan.
"I do not know from where one gets this idea that India is a country which can be pressurised to take a particular posture," Krishna said.
Asked about the letter Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent to him, he said "we have moved closer to the US. In view of the fact that there are a number of other concerns where we are acting closely with the US, so they might have friendly advice, suggestions, just as we can give them friendly advice and suggestions."
"We have friendly exchange of views about not only the bilateral relationship between the US and India but about the border situation, the neighbourhood," he said to a query on whether he was receiving friendly advice, suggestions to start talks with Pakistan.
Krishna noted that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had told the Lok Sabha that perhaps India will be too willing to resume dialogue if Pakistan shows sincerity that they are raring to go the whole hog in trying to destroy the infrastructure of terrorism directed against it.
"We are hoping that Pakistan sees the path of reason and they would live upto what we expect them to do. Then perhaps it becomes smoother for any dialogue to be meaningful. There should be a very conducive atmosphere and that is what we are trying to create," he said.
Krishna said he does not share the perception that under President Barack Obama, the Indo-US relationship could be problematic.
"I believe and am looking forward that the same relationship (as under President George W Bush) will continue and perhaps we might improve it further as we go along the road," he said.
The minister said Obama was a "great democrat" who will be dealing with the biggest democracy, India, which shares common values with the US.
"So I think we should be working very closely with the US," he said.
The US' relationship with other countries is certainly something they have to evaluate themselves, Krishna said when asked whether American pre-occupation with Pakistan will hinder ties with India.
"But as far as we are concerned, whether it is President Obama or the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, I believe that they understand India's position globally and India's strength in the neighbourhood and its relevance in keeping peace and tranquility in the region," he said.
Krishna said India does not distinguish between good and bad Taliban and would communicate the same to the US through the normal diplomatic channels.
"All Talibans are evil personified," he said.
Asked whether Obama's belief that some elements of Taliban can be won over and brought into government, causes great concern and disquiet, Krishna said "that is something which the US will have to work out with Pakistan and we certainly will have no role in shaping that."
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