Call off dialogue with Pakistan: Sushma Swaraj
By IANSFriday, July 16, 2010
NEW DELHI - Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj Friday demanded that the India-Pakistan dialogue be called off as Pakistan breached all diplomatic norms in the recent talks at Islamabad.
“We, not only the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) but the entire country is united in condemning the behaviour of (Pakistan Foreign Minister) Shah Mehmood Qureshi,” Sushma Swaraj told CNN-IBN news channel.
“One may or may not agree with the other country’s views but there are diplomatic norms to articulate it,” she added.
The almost seven-hour meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Qureshi ended with no common ground but the two sides reiterated their known positions on thorny issues such as Kashmir.
When asked about Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed’s hate speeches in Pakistan, Qureshi countered by bringing up Indian Home Secretary G.K. Pillai and his allegations on the eve of the external affairs minister’s visit that Pakistan’s spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attack.
