‘India sabotaging efforts to normalise relations’ : Pakistan

The Foreign Office on Friday said India is “sabotaging” efforts to normalise relations and using “flimsiest of reasons” to avoid talks, as it called on New Delhi to show “seriousness” in resolving the Kashmir issue Radio Pakistan reported. 

In an interview with the Press Trust of India, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said India has tried everything to sabotage all goodwill gestures Pakistan has ever made towards normalising relations between the two countries. Referring to the trajectory of Indo-Pak relations in recent times, Zakaria said the trajectory has been on a downward slope. “India has tried to do everything to sabotage every goodwill gesture that we made towards normalising relations,” said the FO spokesperson. He added that Sushma Swaraj, during her visit to Pakistan during the Heart of Asia Conference in 2016, had said that the peace process would continue and no incident would be able to derail the talks.

 “Then the Pathankot attack happened and since then India has been using it as a pretext to run away from the talks. Though, they have no proof against Pakistan.” When asked why the two countries could not resume talks in 2016, Zakaria said that “every time there is a prospect for talks, India comes up with a new excuse”. 

“They want to suppress the Kashmiris and use the Pakistan card and border tension to hide their crimes against humanity in Indian-occupied Kashmir and also for playing domestic politics,” said Zakaria. -‘LoC calm was temporary’- Zakaria, while talking about the situation on the Line of Control, said that the calm on the LoC was temporary. 

“It was due to the international pressure on the UN, the US and several other countries urged for lowering tension. India stopped fire for a few days and again they have violated the LoC recently.” “As regards to adviser Sartaj Aziz’s visit, he went there for two reasons: first we want to show commitment to peace and stability in Afghanistan; second, we thought that India would avail the opportunity and reciprocate the gesture.

 But again they played a malicious game,” elaborated the spokesperson while referring to Aziz’s recent visit. He added that India, during the visit, violated all norms of protocol and decency. When asked whether there is a chance for better bilateral ties between the two countries, Zakaria said it depends on India’s attitude and conduct. He clarified that ending the bloodshed in the disputed valley of Kashmir is not a precondition for talks, rather it is an issue of human lives and rights. Answering whether Pakistan is ready to address Indian concerns on cross-border terrorism to help revive the talks, Zakaria said, “India makes every effort to mislead the world. In fact, India itself is involved in terrorism in Pakistan and India-occupied Kashmir”