Addressing the media on the first anniversary of the Narendra Modi government, Ms Swaraj said India has adhered to three principles regarding Pakistan. “We will try and solve every issue through talks, talks will be only between the two nations without any third party intervention and the talks will be held only in an environment free of terror,” she said.
“As said earlier, our dialogue with Pakistan will only materialize in a peaceful milieu. This zone will be created only when Pakistan takes action against the (terror) perpetrators like Lakhvi and others,” she added.
Since last year, Pakistan has taken an aggressive stance. While ceasefire violations became the norm in Jammu and Kashmir, repeatedly attempts were made to raise the Kashmir issue in the international fora.
Not only did Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif demand a resolution at the UN General Assembly in September, he also wrote to UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon, asking for intervention.
The frost in ties had thawed for a while during the SAARC summit in Nepal. But a chill descended during US President Barack Obama’s visit in January this year, when Pakistan insisted that Mr Obama should “take up the issue” of the violence at the border “in which many innocent Pakistanis and Kashmiris have been martyred.”
The bitterness increased when Pakistan released 26/11 terror accused Zaki-Ur Rehman Lakhvi from jail. Last week, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said “If Pakistan wants its own welfare… It must stop all its nefarious activities aimed towards India.”
Regarding China, Ms Swaraj said India has clarified on oil search in south China sea. The issue of China’s giving stapled visas to residents of Arunachal Pradesh is also to be resolved, and India hopes to sort out both matters through talks. “China and India are both committed to resolve the contentious issues between them.”
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