New Delhi : Criticising Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit for saying that the bilateral peace process remains suspended as New Delhi does not want comprehensive talks, the Congress on Saturday demanded the former’s repatriation.
“When the Pakistani High Commissioner has snubbed the Government of India.if the Government of India really wants to take any action they should order the Pakistani High Commissioner out,” Congress leader Manish Tewari told ANI.
“This government has no policy towards Pakistan. What they are doing now is getting caught in the cleft stick of Pakistan. Pakistan has been playing running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. So, why is the Indian government clutching on to straws from Pakistan, citing statements of the Pakistani foreign office to say that the dialogue process is on?” he added.
Basit had earlier said dialogue with India is suspended and hinted that the National Investigative Agency (NIA) will not be given access to JeM chief Masood Azhar for the probe into the Pathankot attack.
“I would say the dialogue is suspended,” Basit said during an interaction at the Foreign Correspondents Club while responding to a question on the status of the comprehensive bilateral dialogue announced by Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistan counterpart Sartaj Aziz last December.
India has countered Basit’s assertion that the visit by Pakistan’s JIT to investigate the Pathankot terror attack was not on the basis of reciprocity.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that the Indian High Commission in Islamabad had formally conveyed to the Pakistan Foreign Ministry that the terms of reference of the JIT’s visit are broadly agreed to with the condition that these would be on the basis of reciprocity.
Reacting to Basit’s remarks that the peace process between India and Pakistan stands suspended, Swarup referred to Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria’s press conference in which he had stated that both countries are in contact with each other and it has been reiterated from both sides that modalities are being worked out. (ANI)