India’s External Affairs Minister SM Krishna on Wednesday said India wishes to have constructive relations with Pakistan but wanted an environment free from terror and credible action to be taken against anti-India jihadi leaders like Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed who continue to incite violence, Press Trust of India news agency reported.
After his talks with Foreign Affairs Minister Hina Rabbani Khar in New Delhi, the Indian minister told Lok Sabha, lower house of the Indian parliament, that he had conveyed India’s desire to work with Pakistan to reduce the trust deficit and move forward in a friendly manner, the news service reported.
In a statement, he said that Hina Khar’s visit was aimed at resolving peacefully all outstanding issues through a constructive and forward-looking dialogue and to establish cooperative and good neighbourly relations between the two countries, in an environment free from terrorism and violence.
Krishna said that India was committed to build a relationship of trust and mutually-beneficial cooperation in conformity with the determination of the people of both countries to see an end to terrorism and violence and to realise their aspirations for peace and development.
About his discussions with Hina Khar, the Indian minister said that he had underscored the importance that India attaches to the fulfillment of commitments made by Pakistan with regard to trial and investigation in Pakistan into 2008 Mumbai attacks.
“I requested Pakistan to act on the assurance given to our home minister by the (Pakistan’s) interior minister in June 2010 on the dossiers regarding seven specific individuals and the need to provide voice samples,” Krishna said. Pakistan was asked to investigate linkages with some elements in the security agencies that had emerged from the evidence presented in the Tahawwur Rana trial in the US, he said.
Last month, a US jury cleared Pakistan-born Canadian Rana of the charge that he helped in the 26/11 Mumbai attack but convicted him of supporting the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba. Hina Khar and Krishna held wide-ranging talks on July 27 to ease trust deficit and announced a host of confidence-building measures to expand trade and travel across the divided state of Jammu Kashmir.
India demands ‘credible action’ against Hafiz Saeed, jihadi leaders
