AGENCY
New Delhi: If Pakistan inflicts injuries on India, the costs are going to be far heavier for them, Union Minister Arun Jaitley has said, asserting that there is a shift in India’s approach towards dealing with cross-border tensions as it has “suffered enough in silence” for Pakistan’s terror export.
He also lashed out Pakistan for consistently violating the 2003 ceasefires saying the “de facto violation has become de jure violation”.
Eight civilians were killed on Tuesday as Pakistan indulged in heavy shelling in an escalation of cross border military tensions since the surgical strikes by army targeting terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on September 29.
“The new normal is that India doesn’t accept that Pakistan can keep sending terrorists and keep inflicting injury on India. If they do that then costs are going to be much heavier,” Jaitley said.
He was asked about the “new normal” in Indo-Pak ties after the recent tensions.
“2003 ceasefire was being violated by Pakistan. After all what is terrorism- you train people, you smuggle them in. Today, de facto violation has become de jure violation,” he told NDTV.
“We have suffered enough in silence and we have been taking just some diplomatic initiatives. I think times have now changed and the Government of India has a more proactive approach.
“And, the proactive approach is if you indulge in terrorism in India and kill people across the border then there is a cost involved and you will have to pay a price for it. I think that policy of government of India is extremely clear.”
He also pointed out that the internal turmoil in Pakistan has further made its position precarious.
“We paid a price in Uri and in Pathankot. But it was a one-sided price. Today the cost Pakistan has to pay is far heavier and Pakistan in a very precarious situation as far as their own government, democracy and civil-military relationships are concerned. “Therefore, the cost involved for Pakistan is extremely severe,” Jaitley said. PTI
