Sonia, Rahul Gandhi
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Sonia, Rahul Gandhi
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A
day after Manmohan Singh defended in Parliament the Indo-Pak joint
statement that he signed in Egypt on July 16, Sonia Gandhi backed the
prime minister, saying India's foreign policy with respect to its
neighbour had not changed. The Congress president also sought to silence
reports that the party was at variance with the PM's diplomatic stand.
Sonia Gandhi said at a Congress parliamentary party meeting. "We support
the resumption of the dialogue process with Pakistan, but only after
it has demonstrated its seriousness to bring the perpetrators of the
Mumbai terror attacks to justice and to prevent its territory from being
used to launch terror attacks on any part of our country.
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Sonia, Rahul Gandhi
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Within
hours of Sonia's statement party general secretary and Amethi Mp Rahul
Gandhi asserted that the Congress and the government were "absolutely
one" on the issue of the Indian-Pakistan joint statement."The government
and party are absolutely one, you media have created such an impression
(of differences)," Gandhi told reporters in the parliament House
complex. He was replying to a question on the reported differences
between the party and the government over the joint statement especially
as the party refused to specify its stand for a week after the
statement.
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Sonia, Rahul Gandhi
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Pranab Mukherjee
The
strongest endorsement however came from finance minister Pranab
Mukherjee in parliament as he said there was no alternative but to keep
talking to Pakistan while marking it clear that there was no surrender
on the issue of combating cross border terrorism. "Neither have we
succumbed to terrorism nor will we stop talking," Pranab Mukherjee told
the Lok Sabha during a debate on issues arising from the PM's foreign
visits.
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Pranab Mukherjee
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Pranab Mukherjee
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Action
on terror was independent of any composite dialogue he asserted." The
NDA did it. The UPA did it. This is the way the world of diplomacy
moves," Pranab Mukherjee said reminding Parliament that over the last 10
years governments in India kept talking to Pakistan despite brief
disruption after terrorist attacks." We can not erase Pakistan. It is
going to exist. war is no solution." Pranab Mukherjee, who was foreign
minister when the Mumbai attacks took place clarified that talking did
not mean the resumption of a full-fledged dialogue.
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Pranab Mukherjee
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He
also defended the inclusion of balochistan, saying a unilateral
reference does not mean giving credibility to Pakistan's allegation of
Indian role in unrest there.
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Pranab Mukherjee
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Richard Holbrooke
Pakistan
had provided the US with no evidence of the India's alleged involvement
in Balochistan though the issue did come up US special representative
for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke said after his visit to
Islamabad. He said on Wednesday when asked whether Pakistan leaders had
given him any credible-evidence of India's alleged involvement in
Balochistan. Briefing reporters on his trip to Pakistan, Afghanistan and
Brussels, Holbrooke made it clear that the Kashmir issue was not on his
plate.
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Richard Holbrooke
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"
That issue is outside my area of ability to discuss," he said when
asked to what extent the resolution of the Kashmir issue would help him
in achiveing the US goal to dismantle, disrupt and defeat the al-Qaida
and the Taliban. Holbrooke's remark came hours after PM Manmohan singh
defended the inclusion of Balochistan in the India-Pakistan joint
statement is sued at Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt.
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Richard Holbrooke
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Pakistan Prime Minister
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Yousaf Raza Gilani
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Yousaf Raza Gilani
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