New Delhi: Acknowledging that international pressure has not worked on Pakistan to
end cross-border terrorism, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on January 1 made it
clear that India would not resume talks with that country till it stopped sponsoring
terrorism.
"International pressure does not work beyond a point on any country. There will be
no dialogue with Pakistan till it stops abetting cross-border terrorism and
dismantles the terrorist infrastructure," he told reporters.
Asked if there was any change in the level of terrorist infiltration into Jammu and
Kashmir, Advani said, "Infiltration has not come down. There may have been a change
because of winter snow blocking mountain passes."
Replying to questions, the Deputy Prime Minister said Pakistan had not shown any
change in its policy towards state sponsorship of terrorism.
"I do not see any prospects of resumption of Indo-Pak talks. There might have been a
change in Islamabad's words but not in action," he said when asked about Pakistan
President Pervez Musharraf's offer to hold a dialogue with India.
"We would win the war against terrorism with our own might," he said, adding India
does not need to prove its credentials to the international community after having
taken peace initiatives vis-a-vis Pakistan despite the 1999 Kargil
conflict.
Maintaining that security and development would continue to top the government's
agenda in 2003, Advani said the Centre would also work towards linking of major
rivers and giving a boost to Information Technology and housing sectors.
PTI