Modi asks Pakistan to ‘walk away from terrorism’

Indian prime minister says, a thriving well integrated neighbourhood is his dream

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked “Pakistan to stay away from terror activities” if it wanted good relations with India, The Indian Express reported.

Speaking at the inauguration of the second edition of the Raisina Dialogue, Modi talked about the importance of security.



In his speech, he said if Pakistan wants to build a relationship with India and have a dialogue, it must distance itself from ‘terror activities’.

“Security of our citizens is of paramount importance. Self-interest alone is not in our culture or behaviour. A thriving well integrated neighbourhood is my dream,” he said.

The Indian premier said he extended invitation to all members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) including Pakistan, for his swearing in.



"I had also travelled to Lahore but India alone cannot walk the path of peace," he added.

He further said that non-state actors were significant contributors to the spread of challenges that India faced.

“For multiple reasons, and at multiple levels world is growing through profound changes,” Modi said.

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Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2017.