India on Thursday said it desires to have normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan and issues, if any, between the two countries should be resolved bilaterally and peacefully in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence.
At the same time, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said the onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive atmosphere, including by taking “credible, verifiable and irreversible” action to not allow any territory under its control to be used against India.
The minister was replying to a question in Rajya Sabha on India’s policy towards Pakistan, and its foreign policy initiatives. “India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan. Our consistent position is that issues, if any, between India and Pakistan should be resolved bilaterally and peacefully, in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence,” he said.
He also referred to a decision by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in February to retain Pakistan in the ‘Grey List’ due to continuing terror financing related concerns. “These vindicate India’s consistent stand that internationally designated groups and individuals continue to operate from and raise financial resources with impunity in Pakistan, and use territories under its control for carrying out cross-border terrorism in India and elsewhere in South Asia,” the minister said.