New Delhi: A “window of opportunity and goodwill” opened by India for Pakistan is closing as doubts over Islamabad's sincerity in tackling terrorism still persists, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said.
Parrikar made the comments at an inter-governmental forum “Shangri-La Dialogue” in Singapore and were also backed by BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav, NDTV reported on Saturday.
"Prime Minister Modi opened a window of opportunities when he visited (the) Pakistan Prime Minister. I think that window is slowly closing. Before it closes, Pakistan needs to develop that trust with India on its sincerity on the approach," the channel quoted the minister as saying.
"Pakistan separates terrorists between good ones and bad ones. They are after bad ones but the good ones are promoted to operate in Afghanistan and India. I think that needs to be tackled at a diplomatic level," Parrikar reportedly said.
Relations between India and Pakistan are strained over the repeated attacks on the Indian soil by militants based in Pakistan. This year alone, there have been many attacks, including the one on Pathankot air force in Punjab.
Islamabad is yet to clear a request from India's premier investigation agency NIA to visit Pakistan as part of its probe into the deadly Pathankot attack.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday said that the role of Pakistani nationals in the Pathankot air base attack "is an accepted fact".
The Shangri-La Dialogue, being held from June 3-5 this year, is hosted annually by independent think-tank International Institute for Strategic Studies.
It is attended by defence ministers and military chiefs of more than 28 countries.
