Terror biggest obstacle, Krishna tells Pakistan
July 16th, 2010 - 6:12 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, July 16 (IANS) India has told Pakistan that bilateral relations could not be normalised until the country acts against terrorists operating from its territory, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said Friday after his arrival from Islamabad.
“Terror is the biggest obstacle in normalising relations with Pakistan. Unless this is met, everything else will be futile,” Krishna told reporters at the Delhi airport.
The minister, whose joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi had ended in acrimony in Islamabad Thursday, said he had told the leadership of Pakistan that it would have to take action against the perpetrators of the November 2008 Mumbai attack.
Stating that he didn’t want to score debating points over Qureshi, Krishna said: “I have invited Qureshi to visit India. I am looking forward to resuming the dialogue from where we left it yesterday.”
To a question on whether back channel diplomacy was more effective in the context of the acrimony seen in Pakistan, he said: “This will have to be evaluated.”
Krishna was in Islamabad for a three-day visit, the first by a foreign minister since the 26/11 terror attack.
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Tags: acrimony, bilateral relations, counterpart, delhi airport, dialogue, diplomacy, external affairs minister, foreign minister, India, krishna, leadership, New Delhi, obstacle, pakistan, perpetrators, shah mahmood, terror attack, terrorists