Raj, August 29: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said India wants to improve ties with Pakistan but the atmosphere is not conducive for moving ahead.
“I want our relations to improve…If relations between India and Pakistan improve, a lot of things can happen. I think border states like Punjab, Rajasthan and other states will benefit if relations improve,” he told a select group of reporters here during a brief visit.
He was responding when asked why the Indo-Pak Thar Express did not have stoppage at Barmer.
Singh said many beneficial things could not be undertaken until relations between India and Pakistan “don’t improve and brotherhood does not improve”.
He said “the atmosphere is not conducive for moving ahead.”
Asked why the relations between the two neighbours were not improving, he said, “there are some forces in that country also, I don’t want to say that.” He did not elaborate.
—Agencies