Mumbai attacks: ‘Pakistan’s response to wish list unsatisfactory’
Foreign minister says Delhi will do ‘whatever needs to be done’ for MFN status.
Foreign minister says Delhi will do ‘whatever needs to be done’ for MFN status. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
India has termed Pakistan’s response to its “wish list” with regards to the 2008 Mumbai attacks “unsatisfactory” calling it “critical” to “substantive movement” in bilateral relations.
Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said that what Islamabad has done so far in the case was “not to our satisfaction”, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).
However, he added 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 Babri Mosque was similar to the Mumbai attacks – a statement which had irked many Indian 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) militant Abu Jundal had worked for the 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 the right direction provided the wish list lying with Pakistan given by India as far as the Mumbai tragedy is concerned is responded to,” Khurshid was quoted as saying by PTI.
MFN status
Khurshid said his country will do whatever needs to be done to persuade Pakistan into granting it the “most favoured nation (MFN) status”.
“We believe 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,” PTI quoted him as saying.
He added that India needs to get Pakistan back on track, according to the report.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 7th, 2013.
Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said that what Islamabad has done so far in the case was “not to our satisfaction”, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).
However, he added 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 Babri Mosque was similar to the Mumbai attacks – a statement which had irked many Indian 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) militant Abu Jundal had worked for the 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 the right direction provided the wish list lying with Pakistan given by India as far as the Mumbai tragedy is concerned is responded to,” Khurshid was quoted as saying by PTI.
MFN status
Khurshid said his country will do whatever needs to be done to persuade Pakistan into granting it the “most favoured nation (MFN) status”.
“We believe 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,” PTI quoted him as saying.
He added that India needs to get Pakistan back on track, according to the report.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 7th, 2013.