AGENCY
New Delhi: India on Wednesday clearly put the onus on Pakistan for resumption of dialogue, asserting that it should commit to end the state-sponsored terrorism.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh also said in the Rajya Sabha that the government was ready to talk to all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir to normalise the situation there.
“Pakistan should at least make a beginning and say it is willing to talk and end the terrorist activities and seek the support of any country in the world (in ending terrorism).
Pakistan should take an initiative,” he said.
Singh was responding to questions by members as to why talks are not being held with Pakistan.
“The previous (UPA) government had also placed a condition for Pakistan to give a commitment to end state-sponsored terrorism,” he added.
To questions over the situation in Kashmir, the Home Minister said, “We are ready to talk to everyone… The entire nation wants the situation to normalise in Kashmir. We are ready to cooperate with everyone and have taken all initiatives in this regard.”
He noted that he had visited the Kashmir valley thrice during the unrest last year.
“When there was unrest, I went to the Kashmir valley thrice. I have spoken each time. The government wants the Kashmir situation to improve. We have taken every initiative,” he said.
“I also want to inform the House that there has been no dearth of official communication,” he said.
While talking about steps and schemes initiated to normalise the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Home Minister said he does not, at the same time, dismiss the work done by the previous governments.
“We never want to take credit of anyone. We don’t claim that we alone can improve the situation and solve the Kashmir problem. The support of every political party and every citizen is required to solve the Kashmir problem,” he said.
He said the Modi government was trying to take forward the initiatives taken by previous governments.
Listing some of the initiatives taken, he said the selection process for the armed police forces is over and job opportunities for Kashmiri youth have increased.
He added that never before have there been recruitment of as many as 10,000 SPOs in Kashmir valley and five new India Reserve Battalions have been raised there with as many as 4,500 personnel.
Besides, he said, central armed police battalions have been raised in J&K with 1200 personnel.
Referring to the visit of an all-party delegation to Kashmir during the unrest last year, Singh said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had even written a letter, “inviting all such (separatist) forces to talk to the visiting delegation. However they still did not turn up.”
Mentioning about the snub given by separatist Hurriyat leaders to some members of the delegation when they tried to meet them, he said, “These people (the delegation comprising Yechury and others) were forced to beat a hasty retreat. What do they expect from us?”
The Home Minister said there were 322 incidents of terrorist violence in 2016 and 150 terrorists were killed, but in 2017, as many as 32 terrorists were killed.
The Home Minister, while talking about the benefits given to the soldiers, mentioned out-of-turn promotions and honour to soldiers involved in surgical strike.
“We have decided that under any circumstances the family of a jawan martyred will get overall financial support of more than Rs 1 crore,” he said.
He said although sacrifices of the jawans cannot be measured in monetary terms, “they got less money earlier”.
He added, “Whenever our soldiers are martyred, we take full precautions to send his body to his village and the district authorities as well as the MLAs and MPs concerned are informed to be present in the funeral ceremony.”
India for ties with Pak sans shadow of terror: President
New Delhi: India is committed to building ties with Pakistan in an environment free from terror and violence, President Pranab Mukherjee said here on Wednesday.
Mukherjee said this in his message to his Pakistani counterpart Mamnoon Hussain on the eve of their national day tomorrow. “On behalf of the government, the people of India and on my own behalf, I extend greetings to you and to the friendly people of Pakistan on the occasion of your National Day,” he said. “India is committed to building ties with Pakistan in an environment free from terror and violence,” he said. Mukherjee’s missive comes amid unease in Indo-Pak ties following a series of terrorist attacks on army camps and tension along the border due to frequent ceasefire violations. The last official dialogue between the two countries was held in December 2015 when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj travelled to Islamabad and the two sides decided to resume comprehensive talks.
