New Delhi, September 22
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today virtually ruled out an early resumption of a dialogue with Islamabad because of Pakistan’s continued attempts to disrupt the poll process in the state.
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee being seen off by Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and Finance Minister Jaswant Singh before his departure for Maldives at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Sunday.
— PTI photo
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Responding to reporters’ questions at the airport before leaving for Maldives, the Prime Minister said Pakistan’s continued efforts to disturb poll in Jammu and Kashmir showed that it was not interested in creating a conducive atmosphere for talks.
To a question on the reported US statement that successful elections in Jammu and Kashmir would lead to early Indo-Pak talks, Mr Vajpayee said he was not aware of it. But he did not think talks were possible as Pakistan was still trying to disrupt the elections.
“If they end cross-border terrorism, close terrorist camps and stop logistic support to militants, then an atmosphere could be created for talks,” Mr Vajpayee said.
The Prime Minister left on a four-day official visit to Maldives.
Mr Vajpayee will hold talks with President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom tomorrow soon after he is accorded a ceremonial welcome.
New Delhi’s concerns over Islamabad’s failure to honour its commitments to end cross-border terrorism and infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir are expected to be conveyed by Mr Vajpayee to the Maldivian leadership.
In his departure statement, Mr Vajpayee said he would look forward to reviewing the progress in bilateral projects and discuss some new projects which would define partnership between the two countries in the coming decade.
Minister of State for External Affairs Digvijay Singh, who was at the airport, emphasised that Islamabad could have created a conducive atmosphere for talks if it had not interfered with the elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
The minister said India was not averse to talks provided Pakistan fulfilled its commitments. The fact that not one world leader had suggested to the Prime Minister during his recent New York visit that India should take steps for a dialogue with its neighbour showed that the world had stopped taking Islamabad seriously, he
said.
MALE: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee arrived here on Sunday on a four-day official visit to give a new dynamism to India’s bilateral relations with Maldives, a PTI report said.
