Pakistan won’t mend its ways anytime soon, says India’s Modi

Narendra Modi claims no Indian prime minister has ever opposed dialogue with Pakistan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it would be a “huge mistake to believe that Pakistan would mend its ways anytime soon”, and that his government is working out various strategies to keep the pressure up on Islamabad “to check terrorism”.

In an exclusive interview to ANI news agency, which was carried by all media outlets in India on New Year’s Day, Modi said that India had a consistent policy that no prime minister ever opposed dialogue with Pakistan.

“It will be a huge mistake to believe that Pakistan will mend its ways after a war. It will take a lot of time for Pakistan to mend its ways,” Modi said in the interview.



Prime Minister Imran Khan soon after coming to power invited India to dialogue and pursue peace, terming it the “best way to alleviate poverty and uplift the people of the subcontinent”.

Recently, Pakistan had initiated the process to open Kartarpur border crossing to facilitate Sikh pilgrims living on the other side of the border. However, India had shunned all talks offer.

Modi added whether it was so-called surgical strikes or any other action, the Indian government was working out various strategies to keep pressure up on Pakistan.

Modi said India favoured dialogue and good friendly relations with Pakistan, but alleged that Islamabad was “not going to mend it ways of promoting cross-border terrorism any time soon”.

“We have always wanted dialogue -- it is not a question of Modi or [former prime minister] Manmohan [Singh]…”

But when asked about Prime Minister Imran Khan’s dialogue offer, he said that “we have always maintained that their support to terror must end first” claiming that “we have successfully managed to isolate Pakistan on the global arena”.

In the interview, Modi was asked about the so-called surgical strike videos, which triggered scathing attacks from the opposition and was laughed off by Pakistan as a figment of India’s imagination. Modi, however, avoided a direct answer.

“I personally believe that surgical strikes should not be politicised,” he said.

“There are some political parties who began to speak the same language as Pakistan. These parties were demeaning our armed forces. They politicised such an issue,” he added.

Speaking about his Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prospects in the general elections later this year, he appeared confident of doing well despite the recent losses in state polls.

“No reason for morale down. We are confident and are moving ahead. In 2019, if there is one party which the country trusts and is connected with the people, it is the BJP.”



Modi said it was more important to focus on his government’s achievements, including the introduction in September of a new healthcare scheme for the poor. “In such big numbers people suffering, today they have got treatment, how can I consider this a failure. It is my biggest achievement,” Modi said.

He said party has been discussing what it lacked at the state elections but winning or losing was not the only yardstick. “Our effort is to take everyone along, and listen to everyone. I am committed to give importance to regional aspirations. The country cannot be run by ignoring regional aspirations.”

Modi said farm loan waivers should be “definitely done” if it helps but that was not a long-term solution to the problem of farmer distress. “So solution is to empower the farmers. From seed to market, give all facilities to the farmers,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office on Tuesday rejected the statement of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the spokesman saying that such statements made no difference.

The spokesman said India would go to polls; therefore, such statements were a political ploy by the Indian political leadership.

He added that Pakistan always spoke about peace and with that desire “we wrote a letter to the Modi government. “Such statements do not solve issues.”