Hardly any hope of positive outcome from Indo-Pak talks: Badal

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said there was hardly any hope of a positive outcome from the talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in the backdrop of the ongoing tension.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Sangat Darshan programme in the Fatehgarh Churian Assembly segment here, Badal said both India and Pakistan had not been able to achieve any headway from such dialogue processes in the past due to tensions between the two countries.
85-year-old Badal said the dialogue process was meaningless until the ongoing tension was defused.
At the same time, he added, restoration of peace between India and Pakistan and enhanced trade was the need of the hour as it would help usher in a new era of unprecedented development in Punjab.

"Every Punjabi wants trade between the two countries to increase as it would bring in economic benefits to the state, besides enhancing people to people contact," Badal said.
Terming the recent statement of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on the ordinance on convicted lawmakers, the Chief Minister said he should have refrained from using such language which denigrates the country's Prime Minister.

Rahul should have kept the dignity of the office of the Prime Minister by refraining from using "such derogatory language against him", he said adding, if the Congress leader had any grouse against the ordinance, he should have discussed the matter within his party.

Accusing the Punjab Congress unit of being a "stumbling block" in the way of central grants to the state, Badal said, "Instead of issuing irrational and illogical statements, state Congress leaders should work hard in bringing projects for the state from their (UPA) government."
He also rejected the statement of People's Party of Punjab president Manpreet Singh Badal on the state's fiscal health.