External Affairs minister says India will do anything to persuade Pakistan into granting the MFN status. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
According to a report by Press Trust of India (PTI), External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said that what Islamabad has done so far in the case was “not to our satisfaction”.
The minister said that he did not see Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s statements made during his India tour as a “setback” to the dialogue process.
Malik, during his visit to India, had said that the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Pakistan was similar to the Mumbai attacks – a statement which had irked many Indian government officials. Malik had later retracted his statement saying that he was only talking about inter-faith harmony.
He had also claimed that Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Abu Jundal had worked for Indian intelligence.
“I don't see it as a setback at all. But I do believe and (what) we all believe in this country is that dialogue will move smoothly, faster and in a right direction provided the wishlist lying with Pakistan given by India as far as the Mumbai tragedy is concerned is responded to. That is a critical thing, not what is said, not what gesture is made,” Khurshid was quoted as saying.
On November 26, 2008, ten heavily-armed gunmen laid siege to the city including luxury hotels, a Jewish centre, a hospital and a bustling train station, killing 166 people. The lone surviving gunman Ajmal Kasab was hanged in India on November 21 last year.
MFN status
Khurshid said that India will do whatever needs to be done to persuade Pakistan into granting it the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status.
“We believe that it should have been done. We will do whatever needs to be done to persuade them that we should now be able to do it. It is not something which should be delayed indefinitely,” he said.
He added that India needs to get Pakistan back on track.
“If they have problems, they will certainly express them to us and obviously when it was being negotiated, they must have factored in all the different pulls and pushes, but we would like it to be moved forward and we will certainly persuade them to do so,” he said.
COMMENTS (24)
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India, India!! Why look daft? You will never get the result that you want. Over 35,000+ Paki deaths and nothing has been done. No one has been publicly held responsible. Their response it there is no political conscience to stop more killings. Better we defend ourselves and if (God forbid) there is another attack from their side, strike them hard.
"1-NEW DELHI: India termed Pakistan’s response to its “wishlist” with regard to the 2008 Mumbai attacks as unsatisfactory, calling the list ‘critical’ to ‘substantive movement’ in bilateral relations." First define that when India has accepted true and satisfied with the reports from Pakistan that will accept true and satisfy now and why India always considers itself rightful and true on its stances/standpoints on every important issue most especially importantly on Kashmir and Ajmal Qasab issues???? "2-MFN status: Khurshid said that India will do whatever needs to be done to persuade Pakistan into granting it the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status." PPP's Pakistani leaders have accepted India intentionally and furtively already by heart and soul as the "Most Favorite Nation" by forgetting the sacrifices and blood of innocent and sinless martyred Kashmiri muslim brothers,sisters and children by the brutal,cruel,barbarians and wild beasts Indian troops then there is no need of any declaration and announcement officially and formally. "3-Malik,during his visit to India, had said that the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Pakistan was similar to the Mumbai attacks – a statement which had irked many Indian government officials. Malik had later retracted his statement saying that he was only talking about inter-faith harmony." *This is not new for Pakistani nation and Pakistani nation has been used to it because this has been happening from a long time that first any PPP's minister gives any statement and then later retracts and sometimes other PPP's representatives/ministers say that this was his/her personal opinion not PPP's motives/objectives...
The emotional side of me wants peace and friendship with Pakistan the logical side in me does not see it happening soon .
@Aijaz Haider: The suspicion that most Indians have is that either the Government of Pakistan or at least some agencies of the Pakistan Government were behind the Mumbai attack . The constant denials and the slow pace of the trial only go to strengthen this doubt . As some one wishes Pakistan well and hopes for better relations between the two countries it surprises me that these militants who have created such mayhem in Pakistan itself are being tolerated for so long . Pakistan in its own self interest needs to strongly act against so called strategic assets .
@No Pir No Bulle Shah: The diatribe is coming from you. Indians like Gulab Singh and Kashmir Singh came to commit acts of terrorism in Pakistan, and have confessed to their missions upon returning to India upon humanitarian releases from Pakistani jails. Indians funded, armed and directed Mukti Bahni terrorists to kill Pakistani civilians in East Pakistan, and then invaded East Pakistan with hundreds of thousands of Indian soldiers, and you are complaining about 10 Pakistanis invading Mumbai? Even now India is funding and arming Balochi terrorists to attack and kill Pakistanis, and you want friendship from Pakistan?!
Had your country accepted the founding of Pakistan gracefully, and not provoked this enmity by invading Kashmir, an illegal occupation of Pakistani people and territory that continues to this day, none of this bloddshed would have happened. Rectify your own misdeeds, before pointing fingers at Pakistan.
@Hukum Singh: With India's established record of aggression against Pakistan from day one, you are in no position to complain about Pakistanis. Yes, we all saw how the Indians handled the destroyers of Babri Masjid (it is not Ram Mandir - get your basic facts right at the very least), they elected them as next government - nothing else provides a better demonstration of Muslims' worth in India.
Why am I not surprised to read in all the Western press that Pakistan is a failed state. With attitudes like this and sponsoring terrorism elsewhere it is hardly surprising. It keeps denying but nobody in the world believes it except perhaps some of its own citizens who were educated in a madrassa.
@Nauman:
"Many people, globally, have found Indian response to Babari masjid riots and the massacres during Gujrat riots unsatisfactory…….Mr Salman Khurshid, what are you doing about that. But Pakistan does need to not let this ever happen again….ten terrorists put at risk 1.5 billion lives…."
You are missing some very important points. Babri masjid incident is an internal matter of India while in the case of the Mumbai massacre, Pakistan sponsored terrorists went to India and butchered 170 people and injured 400 in a barbaric attack. Pakistanis' don't speak for or represent the affairs of Indian Muslims.
Since you brought it up, Babri is just one mosque, never mind it was built on a Hindu temple destroyed by Babar. In contrast, Pakistan has destroyed hundreds of temples, if not thousands.
The only other alternative available to Pakistan, other than a normal relation with India, is coercion, bleeding and eventual economic collapse ...... make the choice you Pakistanis .....
Well you Pakistanis don't learn your lessons easily... you will do what India asks, but only after some more pain... so be it
India should have done what the US did, but I understand why she did not do. She should have taken offensive /response posture but the Afghan war tied her hands.
Also, I cannot blame the present PAK government because she does not have any real power and the army cannot sway its influence on the proxies anymore, as can been seen in the present internal security quagmire.
No one in PAK can justify the PAK position on Mumbai attack to the world, let alone to India but having seen what response PAK gave (media, military, Politicians, and public ) after Abbottobad, I am not surprised that PAK is sitting on the "India's Wish list".
This is how I see it since Musharraf assassination attempt: PAK army is fractured ideologically, and Sharia for Pak etc group idiots dominate the middle to lower command and foot soldiers and top tier army brass and politicians are wringing their hands.
The NATO withdrawal is going to create chaos in PAK and the present political drama in PAK -all the talks of delaying election -care taker government set up etc., -is trying to find a solution how to thwart this impending chaos and keep reigning in the Jihadis and their supporters with a consensus of traditional ruling echelons.
India cannot expect anything to happen on the Mumbai wish list because it is not PAK priority at this moment, even though PAK govt machinery wish to act on it and wanted to go away.
Why should Pakistan give a damn about any Indian "wishlist" when India is killing Pakistani soldiers and promoting terrorism? Has India ever considered Pakistan's wish list? Practice what you preach, India.
@Nauman:
FYKI, internal affairs of India aren't the concern of Pakistani government.
@Nauman: That is an unnecessary diatribe. Babri Masjid is in India. So is Gujarat. No Indian went to Pakistan to kill or destroy. Let India and Indians take care of it. And we will. Perhaps you don't realize but Pakistan is too small a force or country to take care of Muslims worldwide. Your budget runs on alms of international donors, who are not Muslims. First stand on your own feet and then look outside.
@Nauman:You said -"Indian response to Babari masjid riots and the massacres during Gujrat riots unsatisfactory" and "ten terrorists put at risk 1.5 billion lives" Gujarat and Ram-mandir-Babri-Masjid is India's internal problem because it is Indians killing Indians. And Indian justice system is handling it. Whereas 26/11 is 10 Pakistanis coming to India and killing 100's of innocent women and children indiscriminately. There is no comparison at all. When 10 brainwashed, suicidal Indians come to Pakistan and kill 100's of Pak women and children. Only then you can compare the 2. BTW on 26/11, 40 Indian Muslims also died.
India is the fool here. Why has India relaxed VISA rules , re-started cricket ties without any tangible steps by Pakistan to punish the perpetrators of 26/11 attack ?
What's new here?
This news was expected after today's adventure by the indians @ LOC..
@vasan: Do you mean Pakistan government was behind the terrorists or it was involved in the Mumbai attacks? Please clarify. Are you suggesting a possibility or do you have some proofs. I hope that the Pakistan government was not involved.
Many people, globally, have found Indian response to Babari masjid riots and the massacres during Gujrat riots unsatisfactory.......Mr Salman Khurshid, what are you doing about that.
But Pakistan does need to not let this ever happen again....ten terrorists put at risk 1.5 billion lives....
"India termed Pakistan’s response to its “wishlist” with regard to the 2008 Mumbai attacks as unsatisfactory" This is the feeling of most Indians but put in the nicest possible manner. To put it more bluntly, Pakistan's official response to Mumbai tragedy, its announcements, retracements, admissions, denials, comparisons, pseudo prosections, passing the buck etc etc indicate its possible official involvement of the establishment and possible attempt of an official cover up.
ok, no problem.