The Hindu : Front Page : “Pakistan must ensure its soil is not used for terrorist activities”

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 15, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

“Pakistan must ensure its soil is not used for terrorist activities”

Shujaat Bukhari

We want solution to all problems through friendly relations, says Manmohan

“Fight against terrorism will continue
at all costs”
Militants urged to shun violence
and join mainstream

— Photo: Nissar Ahmad

Paramilitary personnel stand guard in Srinagar on Sunday. Curfew was clamped in the wake of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Kashmir. The visit was opposed by separatists who called for a complete shutdown as a mark of protest.

KHUNDROO: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday ruled out normal relations with Pakistan until it ensured that its soil was not used for terrorist activities against India. .

Addressing a public meeting here in Shangus Assembly segment, Dr. Singh said the fight against terrorism would continue at all cost and at all levels. “Pakistan should control situation in its country as it is evident that some people in Pakistan are engaged in carrying out terrorist attacks like the recent Mumbai attack in our country. Our relations with Pakistan will not improve until it curbs the terrorists who are operating on its soil to carry out terrorist attacks on India,” he said.

Dr. Singh said India had always wanted to have good relations with them but “our kind desire should not be treated as our weakness.”

Dr. Singh’s address in this segment is significant as south Kashmir is considered to be the stronghold of PDP-led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

Mutual understanding

The Prime Minister said only mutual understanding and cooperation between India and Pakistan could improve relations. “We want solution to all the problems, including Kashmir, through friendly relations,” he said adding that borders cannot be changed but unnecessary restrictions on the people’s movement could be removed. He mentioned the steps taken by his government to open the roads across the Line of Control and said: “There is much headway and we will take further steps to remove the bottlenecks to make the exercise meaningful.”

“We have tried our best to solve all the issues with Pakistan through amicable means and we are still going forward with this spirit,” Dr. Singh said.

He asked the militants to shun the path of violence and join the mainstream as “bloodshed cannot solve any issue but will only lead towards path of destruction.”

“I want to ask my young friends who have adopted a path of extremism, that they should shun the path, and come forward to negotiate their issues and problems with us through dialogue and democratic ways,” he said.

Lauds people

He lauded the people of Kashmir for participating in the Assembly elections in huge numbers.

“The huge participation of people in the Assembly elections has proved that Kashmiris have full faith in the democracy of the country. I am hopeful that people in the Valley will make proper use of the power of democracy,” Dr. Singh said.

Recalling the achievements of the Congress government in the State, Dr. Singh assured the people that it would continue with the same spirit.

“The Congress in New Delhi is taking keen interest in the development of Jammu and Kashmir. That is why in the past three years, the State has moved much forward on the path of development. We will continue the development process with much speed, once it comes to power with full majority in the State,” he said.

PCC chief and Union Minister for Water Resources Saiffudin Soz said people of the State had created a new record in the history of elections by taking part in polls in huge numbers. “People have rejected the negative politics of those who run election boycott campaign,” he said.

The former Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, said that during the three years of Congress rule in the State, an era of development had started with huge funding from New Delhi.

“The funds that the State received in the past three years were three times more than the total funds received by the State in the past 53 years,” he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page