Indian Express | By Agencies | 2 March 2010

Govt’s U-turn on Indo-Pak talks was at US nudge: Advani

Our Foreign Secretary called the recently concluded meeting 'constructive' but her Pakistani counterpart ridiculed the meeting: Advani

“Our Foreign Secretary called the recently concluded meeting ‘constructive’ but her Pakistani counterpart ridiculed the meeting and said his country did not believe in ‘cosmetic engagement’ and did not want India to ‘lecture’ them by demanding that Pakistan should ‘do this or that’,” Advani said in his latest blog posting titled ‘UPA’s shabby approach to Indo-Pak talks : A self-inflicted insult’. Taking a dig at the Government on the outcome of the talks, Advani said in his statement to Parliament External Affairs Minister S M Krishna described the meeting as constructive and useful.

“But the only concrete outcome that seemed to emerge from the 500-word statement was the Foreign Secretaries agreement to stay in touch,” the BJP leader said.

He said India’s “U-turn” on the issue of dialogue with Pakistan seems to be the upshot of “Washington’s nudge.” The “firmness” shown by the NDA government in dealing with Pakistan bore fruits in the form of a joint statement in which Islamabad assured that it would not permit Pakistan or any territory in Pakistan’s control to be used to support terrorism in any manner, he said.

Source: IE