Islamabad: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday termed Hindu “extremist” organisations and their “influence” on the present Indian government as the biggest hurdle to the Pakistan-India peace dialogue.
“In our eyes, the biggest hurdle is Hindu extremist organisations and their influence and relations with the current government,” he said.
Khan also termed Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s statement regarding Pakistan-India ties as “surprising”.
“If the Indian government is serious about mending ties with Pakistan, then they should declare exactly what forces do not want better ties between the two countries,” he said in a statement released by the Interior Ministry.
He was reacting to Sushma Swaraj’s remarks that there are “forces” which do not want good ties between the two countries.
Khan also stated that the Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s good relations with any other head of state is linked to the country’s national interest.
“The Indian minister should not take it as the PM’s personal interest,” he elaborated.
Sushma Swaraj had in her press conference on Sunday said that the “warmth and ease” in ties between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif can help resolve complex issues between the two neighbours.
“Indian seriousness over the issue can be gauged by Prime Minister Modi’s speech to the US Congress,” Khan added.
Modi, in his speech at the US Congress earlier this month, had said in an apparent reference to Pakistan that while terrorism has spread across the world, it is “incubated in India’s neighborhood”.
He had also urged the US Congress to send a clear message to those who “preach and practice” terrorism for political gains by “refusing to reward them”.
“Refusing to reward them is the first step towards holding them accountable for their actions,” said Modi taking aim at the US aid to Pakistan.
