New Delhi, March 30: Sending out a clear message to
the US, India on Monday opposed any third party mediation in its
ties with Pakistan and ruled out resumption of composite
dialogue between the two south Asian neighbours till Islamabad
takes "credible" action to dismantle terror infrastructure.
At the same time, New Delhi welcomed the new strategy for
Pakistan and Afghanistan unveiled by US President Barack Obama
last week and expressed readiness to play a "constructive role
as a responsible power in defeating extremism of all kinds".
"Our view is quite clear. India-Pakistan process has been
most successful when it is bilateral," Foreign Secretary
Shivshankar Menon told reporters here when asked to comment on
Obama`s intention to engage in "constructive diplomacy to
lessen tensions" between India and Pakistan.
"It is hard for any external influence to substitute or
replace absence of political will that is intrinsic to the
process itself," he said, apparently making it known to the US
that any attempt to mediate would not be welcome.
He maintained India and Pakistan had made progress in
their relationship before the Mumbai terror attacks as they
dealt with issues bilaterally.
"It takes two hands to clap. Getting third hand from
elsewhere does not help," he emphasised.
While referring to the progress made in Indo-Pak ties
in the last few years when the two countries dealt with issues
bilaterally, Menon said "there is an important lesson to learn
from it."
Asked about Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari`s
emphasis on the need for early resumption of dialogue, he
said "our present position is -- we are looking at bringing
perpetrators of Mumbai attacks to justice and credible action
by Pakistan to dismantle terror infrastructure from where
Mumbai attacks and earlier attacks in India were carried out.
We are waiting."
He said action by Pakistan has to be "credible in our
view" and "unless it is credible, it is not worth it."
Replying to a question, the Foreign Secretary said "we
are not setting down markers or timelines" but merely waiting
to see expectations from Pakistan being met.
The composite dialogue had made substantial progress
before the Mumbai attacks when India put a "pause" on it.
On the new Afghan-Pakistan policy of the US, Menon
welcomed the "very clear expression of the will to carry
through the struggle against extremism and its roots in
Pakistan".
He said India has a "direct interest in the success of
this international effort" and would play a constructive role.
For India, he said, "links" between Pakistani
establishment and terror elements is a "cause of concern" and
"we will welcome whatever anybody can do to cut those links".
Bureau Report
