'Onus on Pakistan to create terror-free environment': India responds to Pakistan Army chief's peace talks
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New Delhi, Feb 5: India responded to the Pakistan Army chief’s offer of a "hand of peace" and call for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue by saying the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror to facilitate good relations.
Addressing a graduation ceremony at the Pakistan Air Force Academy on Wednesday, army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa had said Pakistan is firmly committed to the ideal of mutual respect and peaceful co-existence.
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"It is time to extend [a] hand of peace in all directions," Bajwa said, according to an official statement. Pakistan and India must "resolve the longstanding issue of Jammu and Kashmir in a dignified and peaceful manner" in line with aspirations of the Kashmiri people and "bring this human tragedy to its logical conclusion", he added.
Asked about the remarks made by the Pak army chief, external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava reiterated India’s stand stating that there couldn’t be any talks as long as Pakistan failed to end cross-border terrorism emanating from its territory.
"Our position is well-known. India desires normal neighborly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence. The onus is on Pakistan for creating such an environment," he said.
India has been maintaining its position that talks and terror can't go together and there is no indication of any dialogue until Pakistan takes some concrete steps.
India, a non-permanent member of the UNSC, has been asking international community to take action against countries backing and sponsoring proscribed terrorists like Hafeez Saeed, Lakhvi, Dawood Ibrahim and Maulana Masood Azhar. It should be noted that talks are not possible until Pakistan stops cross-border infiltration and ceasefire violations.
The two sides have not held any substantive dialogue since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Track II and back channels contacts too have stopped.