India distances itself from Balochistan in jt statement

New Delhi, July 30 (PTI) The mention of Balochistan in
the Indo-Pak joint statement continued to haunt the Indian
government which sought to distance itself claiming that it
was a "unilateral reference" of Pakistan, a stand rejected by
the opposition which walked out of Lok Sabha (Lower House of
Indian Parliament).

Facing the opposition onslaught, the ruling side fielded
Leader of the House and former External Affairs Minister
Pranab Mukherjee, who made a spirited defence of the joint
statement but got into trouble when he said that reference to
Balochistan was unilateral on the part of Pakistan.

"When you describe as unilateral, we are not a party to
it. This is Pakistan's perception. It is not shared by us," he
said while intervening in the debate on the joint statement
issued after the meeting between Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza
Gilani in Sharm-el Sheikh in Egypt on July 16.

Mukherjee sought to take refuge in National Democratic
Alliance's (NDA) memorandum to Indian President Pratibha Patil
which referred to unilateral mention by Pakistan.

But this was hotly contested by Leader of the Opposition
L K Advani who wondered "why is Balochistan was mentioned in a
joint statement. I am sure the Prime Minister must have told
Gilani that we have nothing to do with Balochistan.

"Why we should not have added our statement? This is the
first time that Balochistan has been mentioned in a joint
statement. It will keep coming again and again to trouble
you."

Advani said Pakistan had been levelling accusations of
Indian interference in Balochistan for long, which was
"absurd and bunkum".

To questions by the BJP members as to what national
interests were served by mention of Balochistan, Mukherjee
replied "it is unilateral. It does not mean that we have any
subversive role to play in Balochistan".

But the issue again cropped up when Indian External
Affairs Minister S M Krishna was asked during his reply why
Balochistan was mentioned.

"When the two Prime Ministers met, the question of
Balochistan came up and we readily agreed because we have
nothing to hide," he said that set off a fresh uproar in the
opposition benches.

Advani described his argument as "strange" and said after
the speeches of the Prime Minister and Mukherjee, Krishna had
nothing to add. "There is no point in participating in this
debate," he said and led a walkout of NDA MPs. SP and Left
members followed suit.

Describing Balochistan as an "internal problem" of
Pakistan, Mukherjee said India has nothing to do with it as it
does not believe in exporting terrorism.

"We are victims of terrorism. We don't export terrorism
to any country, nor do we have any intention to do. It is
against our principles," he said.

A combative Mukherjee also sought to debunk the
opposition criticism over the joint statement delinking
dialogue from action against terrorism by Pakistan.

"Action against terrorism is independent of composite
dialogue. There may be composite dialogue or there may not be,
but every country is obliged to act against terrorism," he
said while trying to justify the joint statement.

Mukherjee asserted that there was no question of
compromising India's position on the issue of terrorism.

He reminded BJP that even the previous NDA government
had continued to have talks with Pakistan since 1999 despite
disruptions caused by terror attacks.

"Talking does not mean full fledged dialogue. Talking
does not mean surrendering," Mukherjee said, while taking
strong objection to opposition's charge that the basics of the
country's foreign policy have been altered.

Underlining that India will have to remain engaged ith
Pakistan while pursing "zero tolerance" for terrorism, he said
"We cannot erase Pakistan. Pakistan is going to exist....War
mongering is not the way. War is no solution." PTI CS
DdC
NNNN




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