India wants to have good relations with Pakistan that are free of terror but if it does not show it is changing its past behaviour, then there will be implications on bilateral ties, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
The Minister also said that trade relations had been disrupted due to certain decisions taken by Pakistan in 2019. “I would like to inform the honourable member that in terms of improving ties with Pakistan, like any other neighbour, we would like to have good relations with Pakistan. But, like any other neighbour, we would also like to have relations free of terrorists,” he said during Question Hour.
This has been the position of the Government of India, Jaishankar said.
“We have made it very clear that it is for the Pakistani side to show that they are changing their behaviour of the past and if they don’t, of course, there are implications on relations. So the ball is very much in Pakistan’s court in this regard,” he said.
Trade ties with Pakistan were snapped after the Centre abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
The treatment of minorities in Bangladesh is a matter of concern for India and New Delhi hopes that Dhaka will take action for their safety, Jaishankar said.
The Minister said India hopes that the new dispensation in Bangladesh will settle down to a mutually beneficial stable relationship with India.
Jaishankar said treatment of minorities in Bangladesh has been a source of concern as there have been multiple incidents of attacks on them.
“We have drawn their attention to our concerns. Recently Foreign Secretary visited Dhaka. This subject came up in his meetings. And it is our expectation that in its own interests, Bangladesh will take action for the safety of minorities,” he said during the Question Hour.
The Minister said India has a good history of development projects in Bangladesh.
“In fact when we speak about the neighbourhood first policy, almost every neighbouring country with the exception of Pakistan and China, we have had important development projects and that is the case with Bangladesh as well,” he said.
Meanwhile, S Jaishankar said that security forces would be going to all patrolling points in Depsang in Ladakh and also to the eastward limit which are historically been India’s patrolling limit.
He said that the last of the disengagement agreement with China was related to Depsang and Demchok.
“I want to convey that it was mentioned in my (previous) statement (in Parliament) that the understanding envisaged that Indian security forces would be going to all patrolling points in Depsang, and would be going to the eastward limit which are historically been our patrolling limit in that part,” he said during Question Hour.
The Minister said in the same statement, he has made it clear that India had disengagement agreements with China in the past too.
“Those disengagement agreements also had certain provisions where both sides on a temporary basis had agreed to put certain restraint on themselves. So I think the position is very clear in that statement. I would urge the honourable member to read that statement again,” he said replying to a supplementary question on India-China boundary agreement.
Replying to a question on a picture of Nepal currency that allegedly showed a part of Indian territory as its own, Jaishankar said India’s position regarding the border is very clear.
He said if any of India’s neighbours thinks that by doing something they want to change India’s position, they should be very clear that it is not going to happen.
“I think the entire House is clear on that with me,” he said.
On a question on India’s neighbourhood first policy, Jaishankar said before Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Nepal, there was no visit by any Prime Minister to Nepal for 17 years but that did not mean that nobody in India cared for Nepal.
Similarly in case of Sri Lanka, before Modi visited the country, for 30 years, there was no bilateral visit, he said.
“Visits are important. I accept that. Visits are also subject of timing & convenience and of agenda. The honourable MP asked we give them priority, do they give us priority. The answer is yes,” he said.
The Minister said with regards to Maldives under the current government, the Addu Link Road and Reclamation Project, which was funded by India, was inaugurated and he himself was present.
“By the way, the President of Maldives was present at the oath taking ceremony of this new Government,” he said.
Source: PTI
