India will take up with Pakistan the issue of “persecution” of Hindu minorities and desecration of their religious places in that country and ask Islamabad to ensure that constitutional rights of the minorities are protected.
The issue will be taken up with Pakistan during External Affairs Minister S M Krishna’s proposed visit to Islamabad
in July-August and subsequent discussions with his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar.
Announcing this in the Rajya Sabha yesterday, the External Affairs Minister said it was a “very sensitive and very
delicate issue” and the Government had to be very cautious in its approach to this problem.
The Minister, replying to a short-duration discussion on the plight of Hindus in Pakistan, hoped that Pakistan would
see the “path of reason in the interest of better relations between the two countries.”
Describing the issue as of “paramount concern to every Indian,” Mr Krishna said there was an imperative need for
both countries to live like good neighbours and it was possible only when Pakistan subscribed to the concept of
good neighbourly relations.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also made it clear that it “takes two hands to clap”, Mr Krishna said adding that
India looked forward to Pakistan’s cooperation on a number of issues.
—UNI