Headlines
No point talking to Pakistan: Yashwant Sinha
New Delhi, Aug 23
India should not engage with
Pakistan unless it is "absolutely certain" about the outcome, former
external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha said on Sunday.
"We
should not engage with Pakistan unless you are absolutely certain of the
outcome... I repeatedly tell (this to) my interlocutors with all my
experience in dealing with Pakistan," Sinha told CNN-IBN.
He said he had come to the conclusion that engagement with Pakistan leading to a positive result was just not possible.
The
BJP leader said that not talking to Pakistan won't lead to war. "The
immediate consequence of not talking to Pakistan is not going to be a
war with Pakistan. Certainly not a nuclear war.
"I hold the view
that there is a big space between not talking and war. India and
Pakistan can live in that space. The only problem is Pakistan indulges
in cross border terrorism of which there is enough evidence."
He also accused Pakistan of being in a state of denial.
"For
everything Pakistan blames India. For every argument that we will
advance, they will have a counter argument. For every dossier, they will
have a counter dossier.
"So it is not possible to talk with
Pakistan. Because Pakistan is in a constant state of denial and will not
accept any allegation even that 'jinda saboot' our external affairs
minister talked about," Sinha said.
External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj on Saturday said Pakistan was running away from the talks
as India had caught a Pakistani terrorist after the Udhampur terrror
attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sinha said: "Pakistan has a habit of going back the next day on every written agreement that we arrive at.
"Pakistan
misinterpreted the Shimla agreement, also ignored the January 2006
joint statement. They are misinterpreting Ufa, which clearly says
NSA-level talks will be on all aspects of terrorism. I'm entirely with
the government."
The NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan
were called off on Saturday as Islamabad insisted it will take up the
"core" issue of Kashmir. India said Islamabad must abide by the agenda
agreed to at Ufa, Russia, and only discuss terrorism.
Pakistan's
National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz was to travel to India on Sunday
for talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.