Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday told Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to “walk the talk” as the latter made a pitch for peace between the two nations on Thursday saying the onus lies on India to initiate talks for improving bilateral ties by addressing Kashmir.
“Bajwa should first control his ISI, and then talk about stability in Indo-Pak relations,” the chief minister said, adding that India cannot afford to go soft with Pakistan till they walk the talk and prove their sincerity with solid actions.
Singh’s statement comes a day after Bajwa said it was time for India and Pakistan to "bury the past" and move forward as that would help to "unlock" the potential of South and Central Asia. The Pakistan army chief said that the potential for regional peace and development always remained hostage to the disputes and issues between Pakistan and India - the two "nuclear-armed neighbours". He, however, said that responsibility for a meaningful dialogue rested with India.
In a sharp comeback to Bajwa, Singh said, “Infiltration into India from across the border is still happening, Indian soldiers are being killed at the borders every day. They (Pakistan) are dropping arms and heroin into Punjab via drones every other day. Efforts to create trouble in my state continue to take place. All this should stop first, only then we can talk peace.”
{{/usCountry}}In a sharp comeback to Bajwa, Singh said, “Infiltration into India from across the border is still happening, Indian soldiers are being killed at the borders every day. They (Pakistan) are dropping arms and heroin into Punjab via drones every other day. Efforts to create trouble in my state continue to take place. All this should stop first, only then we can talk peace.”
{{/usCountry}}Pointing to the differences with their country, the chief minister said, “Are they all of the same view as shared by General Bajwa? Are they withdrawing all support to terror groups immediately? Have they asked ISI to back off and leave India alone?”
“India is all for peace, all Indians stand for peace, but India cannot compromise on its security and integrity,” he stressed, adding that peace cannot be conditional.
Bajwa’s remarks came a month after the militaries of India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire along the de facto border in Kashmir.
In response to similar remarks “offering a hand of peace”, India had last month asserted that the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.