India asks Pakistan to 'grasp hand of friendship'

India ready to discuss issues, provided Pakistan stops use of its territory for terrorist activities says PM Singh.


Ppi February 24, 2011

NEW DEHLI: With the dialogue process set to be resumed, India on Thursday asked Pakistan to “grasp its hand of friendship” and insisted that all issues can be resolved if it stopped use of its territory for anti-India activities.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, replying to the Motion of Thanks in the Lok Sabha on the President's Address, said there were "hopeful signs" and an atmosphere in which negotiations between the two countries can go forward.

"I sincerely hope and believe that the new ruling classes of Pakistan would grasp the hands of our friendship and recognize that whatever are our differences, terror as an instrument of State policy, is something that no civilised society ought to use," he said.

Asserting that dialogue was the only way to resolve differences, Dr Singh noted that Foreign Secretaries of the two countries had agreed to resume the dialogue process after a bilateral meeting in Thimphu last month.

"We are willing to discuss all outstanding issues with Pakistan provided Pakistan gives up its practice of allowing the use of its territory for terrorist activities against India," he said.

Dr Singh said full development of the Indian sub-continent could not be achieved unless India and Pakistan normalise the relations between them. "I have been working for that objective since 2005."

Some progress had been made which was followed by a lapse, he said in an obvious reference to 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks after which India had suspended the composite dialogue process with Pakistan.

"Some progress was made, but then there was a lapse and the terrorist elements, would of course, not allow the process of normalization to come into effect," Dr Singh said. He felt he was convinced and believed that there was growing conviction in Pakistan's thinking population as well that terrorism was not an instrument, which can be used by any civilized government as an instrument of state policy.

COMMENTS (27)

LOL | 13 years ago | Reply Some of the Pakistani responses on here are very disappointing. India really has nothing to gain from causing trouble in Pakistan so please stop kidding yourself about Balochistan. Pakistan has enough problems of its own and does not need any help from India. India only wants Pakistan to do well. Imagine if Pakistan was like Canada (the analog being India like the US). We could both be prosperous countries and let our jugdha be reserved for the cricket pitch. One can hope.
Sohail | 13 years ago | Reply True, in our quest of fighting for kashmir, we might loose baloch & punjab. Kashmir was never ours in the first place, but we should certainly not end up loosing what already is ours. Peace!
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