New Delhi, December 3
Accusing Islamabad of ‘striving hard’ to fabricate evidence to somehow link India with the unrest in Balochistan, the government today ruled out the resumption of the composite dialogue process with Pakistan until it brought to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack.
Responding to queries of members in the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna asserted that India had never interfered in the happenings in Balochistan. Asked by Congress member Rajiv Shukla if Pakistan had provided any evidence to India to substantiate its allegation of India’s alleged role in Balochistan, Krishna asserted: “Not even a shred of evidence…nothing has been heard from Pakistan.’’
He also drew attention of the House to two contradictory statements made by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in this regard. In August, the Pakistani minister had stated that evidence of India’s involvement in Balochistan would be communicated to New Delhi through diplomatic channels at the right time, while on November 22 he had stated that the evidence was being compiled. “Two statements of the Pakistani foreign minister read together make it evident that Pakistan is fabricating evidence.”
Rajiv Pratap Rudy of the BJP and Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party wondered why India allowed a reference to Balochistan in the controversial Indo-Pak joint statement issued at Sharm-al-Sheikh in July. Rudy wanted to know from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was present in the House, if the reference to Balochistan was a mistake on the part of the government.
While the PM preferred to remain silent, the Foreign Minister said this question had been answered by the government twice in the last session of Parliament. “It is a fact that Balochistan is mentioned in the joint statement. The PM has made a detailed statement on how it happened. India’s stand is an open book and we stand committed to that statement.”
The minister said India had no interest in destabilising Pakistan. “We want a stable Pakistan so that peace and tranquility prevails in the region.”
When Shobna Bhartia asked if India’s position of not resuming the dialogue process
with Pakistan was sustainable in the long run, Krishna said it was true that the talks were suspended for the time being. India had time and again made it clear to Islamabad that it would not resume dialogue unless Pakistan conducted investigations in a transparent manner to bring to justice those who conspired and executed the Mumbai terror attack.
“In the meanwhile, Indian leaders have been meeting their Pakistani representatives on the sidelines of international events but we will stick to the statement of the Prime Minister (on resuming dialogue).’’
The statement came within days of the Pakistani leadership once again appealing to India to come to the negotiating table without setting any preconditions.
