Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the present status of relationship with Pakistan post Pathankot and Uri attacks;
(b) whether efforts have been made by Pakistan to improve its relationship with India post these attacks and if so, the details thereof;
(c) the details of interactions which have been made by India and Pakistan during this period; and
(d) the present status of Secretary-level talks with Pakistan?
THE MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRIMATI SUSHMA SWARAJ)
(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 95 REGARDING “INDO-PAK RELATIONS” FOR ANSWER ON 08.02.2017
India wishes to have good-neighbourly relations with Pakistan. The talks envisaged between Foreign Secretaries of the two countries to decide the modalities of the Composite Bilateral Dialogue, agreed during the visit of External Affairs Minister to Islamabad in December 2015, could not take place due to the terrorist attack on Pathankot Air Base in January 2016 and other terrorist attacks in 2016 emanating from Pakistan.
The Government’s diplomatic efforts in the wake of Pathankot and Uri terrorist attacks led to widespread recognition internationally that Pakistan’s policy to sponsor and support terrorism against its neighbours posed the biggest challenge to peace and stability in the region and beyond. The Government was also able to effectively neutralize Pakistan’s efforts to internationalize Kashmir issue, and conveyed to India’s interlocutors that normalization of India-Pakistan relations through a peaceful bilateral dialogue can take place only in a conducive environment free from violence and terrorism.
During this period, the Governments of India and Pakistan remained in touch through bilateral diplomatic channels, including for addressing all urgent humanitarian and other matters concerning people-to-people ties.