Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) “Our conduct is an open book,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Pakistani Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani when he brought up the issue of India being “active” in the restive Balochistan area.
During the hour-long talks between the two leaders in Sharm-el-Sheikh Thursday, Manmohan Singh discussed the issue of terrorist acts “aided, abetted and inspired from Pakistan”.

And Gilani countered it by mentioning India’s alleged involvement in Pakistan’s western province of Balochistan bordering Afghanistan.

“He said in our country people say India is active in Balochistan. And I said our conduct is an open book,” Manmohan Singh told reporters in Sharm-el-Sheikh after his talks with the Pakistani leader.

“We are willing to discuss all issues because we are doing nothing,” the prime minister said.

“… and I said to him that I have been told several times that Indian consulates in Afghanistan are engaged in undesirable activities,” Manmohan Singh said, adding that these consulates had been set up “way back in the 1950s”.

“But if you have any evidence, we are willing to look at it because we are an open book, we have nothing to hide. We are not afraid of discussing any of these issues,” the prime minister said.

In a surprise inclusion, Balochistan found mention Thursday in the joint statement as an issue between India and

Pakistan.

“Prime Minister Gilani mentioned that Pakistan has some information on threat in Balochistan and other areas,” the

document stated.

It was the first time that Balochistan has been referred to in any joint declaration between the two countries.

However, there is no mention of Kashmir anywhere in the one-page document.