News Analysis India

Tag: India Pakistan relations

  • Only issue with Pakistan is when they will vacate POK: Jaishankar hits back at SCO meet

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: At the just concluded Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Goa, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar came down heavily on Pakistan after the comments made by Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Kashmir.

    “We have only one issue with Pakistan, which is when will they vacate Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). Pakistan’s credibility is depleting faster than its forex reserve,” said Jaishankar, responding to remarks made by Bhutto earlier on Friday.

    India has ruled out any normalcy of ties with Pakistan until the issue of terrorism is resolved and Jaishankar has categorically stated that perpetrators of terrorism cannot act like victims.

    Regarding Bhutto raking up the Kashmir issue, Jaishankar said that Article 370 is history.

    “Wake up and smell the coffee is what I would like to tell Pakistan as Article 370 is history. I would also like to reaffirm that Kashmir was, is and will always remain an integral part of India,” he said, adding that Pakistan had no business speaking about the G20 meeting in Kashmir as it was neither a member of the G20 nor does it have anything to do with Kashmir.

    ALSO READ | Happy to be in Goa, my visit will focus exclusively on SCO: Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto

    “We are politically and diplomatically exposing Pakistan to the world. Victims of terrorism (India) do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism. They are committing acts of terror which includes the incident of what happened in Rajouri today morning,” said Jaishankar, adding that this is the character of Pakistan, old playbook in a different location – this time it was Goa.

    During his opening remarks ahead of the meet, Jaishankar had stated that the menace of terrorism has continued unabated and taking our eyes off it would be detrimental to India’s security interests. He also reiterated that there can be no justification for terrorism and it must be stopped in all its forms and manifestations – including cross-border terrorism.

    “We must not allow anybody – individual or state – to hide behind non-state actors,” Jaishankar said.

    Meanwhile, Bhutto in an interaction that he had with media from Pakistan said that he wanted peace with India and would sit across the table and talk peace if the environment was congenial. He said he was treated fairly by India during the meet and that he shook hands with Jaishankar during dinner but was greeted with a namaste before the commencement of the meet like all other members.

    “The interest in Pakistan about India and in India about Pakistan is the same. We want to give peace a chance,’’ Bhutto said after he spoke about the breakdown of diplomatic ties with India following the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir.

    India has so far hosted more than 100 events under the SCO Presidency. Regarding bilateral relations with China, Jaishankar said, “The situation with China is abnormal along the border areas. We had a detailed discussion with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and decided to take the disengagement process forward.”

    China interestingly said that there were no issues it had with India and the relationship was normal.

    Meanwhile, Iran and Belarus have been admitted as new members of the SCO. The discussions India had with Russia were about further strengthening their trade and bilateral ties. English has also been made the third official language of the SCO.

    All members underlined that while connectivity is key to progress, it must come with respect for soverignity and territorial integrity of all member states.

    NEW DELHI: At the just concluded Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Goa, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar came down heavily on Pakistan after the comments made by Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Kashmir.

    “We have only one issue with Pakistan, which is when will they vacate Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). Pakistan’s credibility is depleting faster than its forex reserve,” said Jaishankar, responding to remarks made by Bhutto earlier on Friday.

    India has ruled out any normalcy of ties with Pakistan until the issue of terrorism is resolved and Jaishankar has categorically stated that perpetrators of terrorism cannot act like victims.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Regarding Bhutto raking up the Kashmir issue, Jaishankar said that Article 370 is history.

    “Wake up and smell the coffee is what I would like to tell Pakistan as Article 370 is history. I would also like to reaffirm that Kashmir was, is and will always remain an integral part of India,” he said, adding that Pakistan had no business speaking about the G20 meeting in Kashmir as it was neither a member of the G20 nor does it have anything to do with Kashmir.

    ALSO READ | Happy to be in Goa, my visit will focus exclusively on SCO: Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto

    “We are politically and diplomatically exposing Pakistan to the world. Victims of terrorism (India) do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism. They are committing acts of terror which includes the incident of what happened in Rajouri today morning,” said Jaishankar, adding that this is the character of Pakistan, old playbook in a different location – this time it was Goa.

    During his opening remarks ahead of the meet, Jaishankar had stated that the menace of terrorism has continued unabated and taking our eyes off it would be detrimental to India’s security interests. He also reiterated that there can be no justification for terrorism and it must be stopped in all its forms and manifestations – including cross-border terrorism.

    “We must not allow anybody – individual or state – to hide behind non-state actors,” Jaishankar said.

    Meanwhile, Bhutto in an interaction that he had with media from Pakistan said that he wanted peace with India and would sit across the table and talk peace if the environment was congenial. He said he was treated fairly by India during the meet and that he shook hands with Jaishankar during dinner but was greeted with a namaste before the commencement of the meet like all other members.

    “The interest in Pakistan about India and in India about Pakistan is the same. We want to give peace a chance,’’ Bhutto said after he spoke about the breakdown of diplomatic ties with India following the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir.

    India has so far hosted more than 100 events under the SCO Presidency. Regarding bilateral relations with China, Jaishankar said, “The situation with China is abnormal along the border areas. We had a detailed discussion with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and decided to take the disengagement process forward.”

    China interestingly said that there were no issues it had with India and the relationship was normal.

    Meanwhile, Iran and Belarus have been admitted as new members of the SCO. The discussions India had with Russia were about further strengthening their trade and bilateral ties. English has also been made the third official language of the SCO.

    All members underlined that while connectivity is key to progress, it must come with respect for soverignity and territorial integrity of all member states.

  • Pakistan encouraging cross-border terrorism, relations with China abnormal: Jaishankar

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: India’s most pressing priorities are in its neighbourhood. However, Pakistan due to its support for cross-border terrorism is the odd one out among the country’s neighbours, says External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

    “India has a generous and non-reciprocal approach to smaller neighbours. This in our region has come to be known as the neighbourhood first policy. This has seen an increase in cooperation and connectivity in the region. The only exception is Pakistan due to its encouragement of cross border terrorism,” said Jaishankar in his first visit to the Dominican Republic.

    It may be recalled that a few days back while addressing the media in Panama, Jaishankar had made a similar statement.

    This comes ahead of the SCO Foreign Ministers meet that will be held in Goa on May 4-5 which will be attended in person by Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto.

    ALSO READ | Operation Kaveri: India evacuates French embassy staffer from Sudan besides its own citizens

    Meanwhile, he also said that relations with China are abnormal.

    “Because of the boundary dispute, the nature of our ties with China are abnormal. That is an outcome of violation of agreements regarding border management by them. The rise of China and India in a parallel timeframe is also not without its competitive aspects,” Jaishankar added.

    China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang too is expected to attend the upcoming SCO meet in Goa.

    Meanwhile, Jaishankar, along with the Vice President of the Dominican Republic, inaugurated the Indian embassy in the country.

    “Our political relations are exceptionally cordial and we coordinate closely in the multilateral arena. We are confident that the presence of our resident mission will mark a new phase of cooperation and help strengthen our ties in the bilateral, regional and global domains,” Jaishankar said.

    NEW DELHI: India’s most pressing priorities are in its neighbourhood. However, Pakistan due to its support for cross-border terrorism is the odd one out among the country’s neighbours, says External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

    “India has a generous and non-reciprocal approach to smaller neighbours. This in our region has come to be known as the neighbourhood first policy. This has seen an increase in cooperation and connectivity in the region. The only exception is Pakistan due to its encouragement of cross border terrorism,” said Jaishankar in his first visit to the Dominican Republic.

    It may be recalled that a few days back while addressing the media in Panama, Jaishankar had made a similar statement.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    This comes ahead of the SCO Foreign Ministers meet that will be held in Goa on May 4-5 which will be attended in person by Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto.

    ALSO READ | Operation Kaveri: India evacuates French embassy staffer from Sudan besides its own citizens

    Meanwhile, he also said that relations with China are abnormal.

    “Because of the boundary dispute, the nature of our ties with China are abnormal. That is an outcome of violation of agreements regarding border management by them. The rise of China and India in a parallel timeframe is also not without its competitive aspects,” Jaishankar added.

    China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang too is expected to attend the upcoming SCO meet in Goa.

    Meanwhile, Jaishankar, along with the Vice President of the Dominican Republic, inaugurated the Indian embassy in the country.

    “Our political relations are exceptionally cordial and we coordinate closely in the multilateral arena. We are confident that the presence of our resident mission will mark a new phase of cooperation and help strengthen our ties in the bilateral, regional and global domains,” Jaishankar said.

  • Navjot Singh Sidhu bats for trade, ‘new friendship chapter’ between India & Pakistan as he visits Kartarpur

    By PTI

    LAHORE: Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday visited the revered Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan and offered prayers and stressed on “opening of a new friendship chapter” and trade between the two countries, days after India reopened the visa-free Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims.

    The Kartarpur corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district in India’s Punjab state.

    The 4 km-long corridor provides visa free access to Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the Darbar Sahib.

    Pilgrimage to the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara was suspended in March last year because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

    The Kartarpur corridor was reopened on Tuesday for pilgrims.

    “In the name of Baba Guru Nanak, a new chapter of friendship between the two countries should begin,” Sidhu told journalists upon his arrival at the Kartarpur Sahib.

    “After the World wars in which millions of people lost their lives, if Europe can open borders on one-visa, has one passport and one currency, why not in this region of ours where we have figures like Bhagat Singh and Maharaja Ranjeet Singh who are revered by everyone?” he asked.

    Sidhu said he wants mutual love between India and Pakistan.

    “There is a need to open windows in the walls erected in 74 years (between India and Pakistan),” he said, stressing on opening of trade between the two countries.

    “There should be trade between two countries,” the cricketer-turned-politician said.

    Sidhu thanked Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan for taking a step to open the corridor.

    “I am thankful to PM (Imran Khan) for taking the first step and on the other side (India) responded with two steps. I had already said that those favouring the ‘laanga’ (corridor) would have blessings and those opposing it had no value,” he said.

    When Kartarpur Corridor Project Management Unit CEO Muhammad Latif welcomed the former Test cricketer at the zero point and extended best wishes to him and his delegation on behalf of the prime minister, Sidhu said: “Imran Khan is my elder brother. I am greatly honoured. He (Khan) gave us a lot of love.”

    Sidhu visited the complex and also offered religious rituals.

    He and his delegation members were offered ‘langar’ (food) made from the wheat and vegetables of the fields, which Guru Nanak Dev used to look after.

    According to Latif, over 300 Indian Sikhs visited the Kartarpur Sahib on Saturday the fourth day of the reopening of the route which was suspended for some 20 months following the Covid.

    Earlier this week, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi along with 37 others, including his Cabinet ministers, and Jagir Kaur, president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), had visited the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

    Some 2,500 Indian Sikhs who have come to Pakistan via Wagah border on the occasion of the 552 birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev will also visit the Darbar Sahib.

    In November 2019, Prime Minister Khan formally inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor as part of commemoration of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak at a colourful ceremony, paving the way for Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit one of their religion’s holiest sites in Pakistan without needing a visa.

  • ‘It has shortcomings’: India criticises Pak bill on facilitating Kulbhushan Jadhav appeal against death sentence

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A day after Pakistan passed a bill to facilitate Indian prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav appeal against his death sentence, India on Thursday said the law “simply codifies” the “shortcomings” of a previous ordinance and that Islamabad has “failed” to create an atmosphere to ensure a fair trial in the case.

    Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Arindam Bagchi said Pakistan continues to deny unimpeded and unhindered consular access to Jadhav as mandated by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

    “We have seen reports of Pakistan enacting into law the earlier ordinance that was ostensibly enacted to bring into effect the judgement of the ICJ in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case,” he said.

    “Nothing could have been further from the truth. As stated earlier, the ordinance did not create the machinery for an effective review and reconsideration of Shri Jadhav’s case as mandated by the judgement of the ICJ,” he said.

    Bagchi was responding to media queries on Pakistan enacting the law to bring into effect the judgement of the ICJ in the Jadhav case.

    “The law simply codifies the shortcomings of the previous ordinance. Pakistan continues to deny unimpeded and unhindered consular access to Jadhav and has failed to create an atmosphere in which a fair trial can be conducted,” he said.

    The MEA spokesperson said India has repeatedly called upon Pakistan to abide by the letter and spirit of the ICJ judgement.

    Jadhav, a 51-year-old retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017.

    After India approached it, the Hague-based ICJ ruled in July 2019 that Pakistan must undertake an “effective review and reconsideration” of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay.

    The International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Act of 2021 of Pakistan is on the lines of the ordinance Pakistan had brought out last year to facilitate Jadhav’s right to appeal against the death sentence.

    The bill was passed in a joint session of Parliament in Islamabad on Wednesday.

  • Vandalisation of gurdwara in Kabul raises concern not only for India but for world as well: MEA

    According to reports, Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Pakistan's Kabul was vandalised two days ago.

  • Not very hopeful about improvement in Indo-Pak relationship: Ex-Pakistan Ambassador Abdul Basit

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan Ambassador to India Abdul Basit said on Friday he is not hopeful about the improvement in India-Pakistan relationship currently and the two countries can move forward only when they develop the courage to take difficult decisions.

    “I am not very hopeful, under the given circumstances, about this relationship. We may have — one year down the road — some process in place but unless there is some desire to move forward decisively, there is simply no room for any improvement in relationship,” he stated.

    “We have seen our hostility reflect also in Afghanistan,” Basit said during a webinar titled ‘India-Pakistan: Is there a way forward?’, which was organised by think tank Global Counter Terrorism Council (GCTC).

    “How ironic it is that in Doha, Qatar is forced to arrange two separate meetings where India and Pakistan are present. It has come to this pass that our two countries cannot sit in a meeting — where both the countries are present — related to Afghanistan,” Basit mentioned.

    India had on Thursday joined a regional conclave hosted by Qatar in Doha to discuss ways to contain the escalating situation in Afghanistan in the backdrop of the Taliban’s continued offensive across the country.

    Basit said that as India and the US are fostering their strategic partnership, Pakistan, obviously, has a strategic partnership with China.

    “That is negatively affecting Pakistan-India dynamics as well,” he added. Calling the current situation “demoralising”, Basit said South Asia would remain hostage to Pakistan-India hostility.

    “We will not be able to take advantage of the opportunities unleashed by globalisation. It is so unfortunate that intra-regional trade continues to be under 5 per cent,” he stated.

    Basit said he has come to the conclusion that no matter which approach is adopted at the end of the day, Pakistan-India relations will continue to be hostage to mutual hostility unless and until “we found solutions to our core problems — and there I must mention the Jammu and Kashmir dispute”.

    He said some people do not agree with him and they still believe perhaps the best way forward is to take baby steps, and try to have a congenial environment through confidence-building measures, people-to-people contacts, cultural relations, economic relations, etc.

    “But our experience tells us we have tried all these things in the past and nothing has really worked, so much so that we tried confidence-building measures related to Kashmir in 2005-2007. Even those confidence-building measures have unravelled over time,” he mentioned.

    He said there is no appetite left in Pakistan to really “engage with India for talks for the sake of talks” particularly after the steps taken by India on August 5, 2019, in relation to Jammu and Kashmir.

    The Narendra Modi government had on August 5, 2019 revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the erstwhile state into Union territories.

    “Though there have been some back channel interactions, and we saw as a result of that, there was recommitment to the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC). But…we are again searching for possibilities.”

    Following talks between the Directors-General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan over a hotline, a joint statement was issued on February 25, 2021, in which the two countries agreed to the strict observance of all agreements, understandings and ceasefire along the LoC and all other sectors with effect from the February 24-25 midnight, 2021.

    There is no doubt that diplomacy is the art of the possible, he said.

    “But unless there is a mutual desire, political will and the two sides must have courage to take decisive difficult decisions, I do not see as to how the two countries can move forward,” he noted.

  • ‘We are talking to China which has occupied our land’: Mehbooba Mufti wants Indo-Pak talks

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said India should talk to Pakistan for resolution of Kashmir issue and putting an end to the bloodshed in the region.

    She made the remarks at a party gathering to commemorate the 22nd raising day of the PDP here.

    “The ceasefire between India and Pakistan (in February this year) was a result of dialogue. Then what’s wrong when Mehbooba Mufti says hold talks with Pakistan for resolving the issue and ending the bloodshed?” she said.

    The former chief minister said there should be no hesitation in holding talks with the neighbouring country for improving the situation.

    “The ceasefire has resulted in peace along borders and lesser infiltration. This has brought relief to the people,” she said.

    “We are talking to China which has occupied our land. You (the government) might not admit it but that is the case. Shimla Agreement and Tashkent agreement between India and Pakistan were about Jammu and Kashmir,” Mehbooba Mufti added.

    She said PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s dream of trade and travel between divided parts of Jammu and Kashmir was realised by the efforts of then prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.

    “Hold talks with Pakistan again and open the Muzaffarabad and Rawalakote trade routes again, ” she said.

    Mehbooba Mufti said during the all-party meeting with the prime minister last month, she reiterated that dialogue was the only way out.

    “I also said that we will continue our struggle for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status which was taken away unconstitutionally. We will not restore till we get it back with interest,” she said.

    The PDP president said there were allegations that three youths were killed in separate fake encounters recently.

    “Don’t we raise our voice against these injustices?” she asked.

  • India declines to comment on Pakistan’s flip-flop on bilateral trade

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India on Friday declined to comment on Pakistan’s flip-flop on plans to go for limited imports of sugar and cotton from the country.

    “We have seen reports on this. But as is evident, we are not the right party to whom this question should be directed at,” said Arindam Bagchi, Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

    His response came following questions on the issue at a media briefing.

    In a volte-face, Pakistan’s Cabinet on Thursday rejected the proposal of a high-powered committee to import cotton and sugar from India.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said there can be no normalisation of ties until New Delhi reverses its decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

    The somersault came a day after the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) under newly-appointed Finance Minister Hammad Azhar on Wednesday decided to buy the two key items from India, lifting a nearly two-year-long ban on their import from the neighbouring country.

    Asked whether India is planning to restore the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan, Bagchi said he does not have any information on it.

    India withdrew the MFN status to Pakistan following the Pulwama terror attack in 2019.

    To a question on whether there was any interaction between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Qureshi in Dushanbe on the sidelines of a conference, the MEA spokesperson said he was not aware of any such interaction with the Pakistani delegation.

    Both Jaishankar and Qureshi were at the Tajikistan capital earlier this week to attend the Heart of Asia conference.

    The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process is an initiative aimed at bringing together all the key stakeholders to bring lasting peace and stability in war-ravaged Afghanistan.

  • UAE played peace broker between India and Pakistan, claims report

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The India-Pakistan joint statement reiterating their commitment to respecting the 2003 ceasefire came after peace was brokered by the UAE, a Bloomberg report has revealed. The report, citing a February 26 readout of UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed’s visit to India where he met EAM S Jaishankar, said it gave clues on what was discussed.

    Quoting unnamed officials, the report said reiterating the commitment to the 2003 ceasefire along the LoC was only the beginning of a “larger roadmap to forge lasting peace between the neighbours, both of which have nuclear weapons and spar regularly over a territory dispute”.

    Indian, Pakistani and UAE foreign ministries are yet to comment on the West Asian country’s role in brokering peace. Interestingly, after US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin’s recent visit to India, sources had also mentioned West Asia. “Conversation also covered changing global scenario, including Europe and West Asia,” a source had said.

    The Bloomberg report claimed the next step in the peace process between India and Pakistan would be reinstatement of envoys in New Delhi and Islamabad.  Pakistan has also lately adopted a changed stance with both PM Imran Khan and Army chief General Qamar Bajwa talking of dialogue.   

    Experts say geopolitical conditions have forced both India and Pakistan to make the joint announcement. “While India needs to concentrate on the LAC despite the disengagement, Pakistan’s economic conditions are prompting them to extend an olive branch,” a former diplomat said. A UK-based research scholar echoed the views saying given its economic status, Pakistan wants to mend ties while New Delhi would like to use its military resources at the LAC.

    EAM Jaishankar meets Afghan counterpartExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Afghan counterpart Mohammad Haneef Atmar on Monday held talks with focus on the peace process in Afghanistan, and boosting cooperation in areas of security, connectivity and trade.