Dialogue only way forward with Pak, says PM

Contending that dialogue was the only way forward with Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday that the decision to hold foreign-secretary level talks was a "calculated" one but there can be no meaningful discussion till terror from there is ended.

Contending that dialogue was the only way forward with Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday that the decision to hold foreign-secretary level talks was a "calculated" one but there can be no meaningful discussion till terror from there is ended.

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Denying that he had sought mediation by Saudi Arabia, he asserted in the Lok Sabha that all problems with Pakistan can be resolved bilaterally if it adopted a "reasonable" attitude in dealing with terror elements which target India.

"Our policy towards Pakistan is consistent, cautious and realistic," Singh said replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address to Parliament during which he lambasted the opposition BJP for spreading disinformation.

He specifically rebutted charges levelled by senior BJP leader L K Advani that the government was talking to Pakistan under US pressure.

Underlining the need for keeping communication channels with Pakistan from breaking down, he said the scope of any "miscalculation can only worsen in an environment of no contact."

To buttress his point, he said the US and the erstwhile Soviet Union, even at the height of the Cold War had kept communication channels open.

Referring to the recent Foreign Secretary-level talks, Singh said it was not a "sudden" decision but a "calculated" one. He pointed out that he had earlier offered to resume talks on humanitarian issues.