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NEW DELHI, Nov 2: Former Union Law Minister and Chairman, Kashmir Committee, Ram Jethmalani on Sunday said that India was not serious about normalizing ties with Pakistan and underscored the need for immediate resumption of dialogue between the two countries.
Speaking at a function here, Jethmalani said he was in touch with the people of Pakistan and India and both wanted peace but “our rulers are not seizing the opportunity.”
“I don’t think they (Indian government) are really serious about seizing the opportunity. There has never been a more auspicious time to settle this dispute,” he told newsmen later.
Responding to a question about curbing infiltration, Jethmalani said he believed Islamabad had partly done so.
“Maybe, with greater sincerity they (Islamabad) could accomplish it much better. But still we must take them at their word. We must meet them and tell them that some infiltration is persisting and let us sit down and decide how to stop it,” the news reports quoted him as saying.
The former minister said: “We can’t have dialogue (with Pakistan) subject to a veto by a few (militants) who are not even under the control of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.”
The Kashmir committee was engaged in “secret and valid work and we are sure we are doing an excellent work,” he said.
ACCUSATION: Foreign Minister of India Yashwant Sinha has accused Pakistan of stalling talks on restoring aviation links because it did not want Indian airplanes flying to Afghanistan.
In an interview with India’s Outlook magazine, Mr Sinha said Pakistan had “irrational fears” about Indian flights to Afghanistan, with which New Delhi has had warmer ties since the fall of the Taliban regime.
“The Pakistan side is keen to restore the links — civil aviation links — but they don’t appear keen to restore the overflight rights,” Mr Sinha told the weekly, accusing Islamabad of dragging its feet.—APP/AFP
