Opening Kartarpur does not imply outset of bilateral talks with Pakistan: Indian minister
- By Web Desk -
- Nov 28, 2018
As an Indian delegation is currently in Pakistan, attending the ground-breaking ceremony of Kartarpur corridor, Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj announced Wednesday that India will not partake in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) conference if it is held in Pakistan.
Brushing off all chances of improvement in ties between the arch-rivals, Indian minister categorically said, “Until and unless Pakistan stops terrorist activities in India, there will be no dialogue and we will not participate in Saarc [conference].”
Until and unless Pakistan stops terrorist activities in India, there will be no dialogue and we will not participate in Saarc: Indian minister
The unprecedented event of Kartarpur border opening can be termed as another achievement of Pakistan on diplomatic and moral grounds against India, which has continued its hostility with Sushma Swaraj declaring that “opening of Kartarpur corridor does not imply beginning of any bilateral dialogue with Pakistan.”
While talking to journalists in Indian Hyderabad, the Indian foreign minister further claimed that “India had been asking for many years to open Kartarpur corridor but Pakistan gave a positive response just now.”
The Indian official, nevertheless, did not mention the period of time when her country put up this suggestion.
India had been asking for many years to open Kartarpur corridor, Swaraj said
Swaraj on November 23 excused herself from attending the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur Border, without giving any specific reason.
In a series of tweets, Sushma Swaraj, thanked her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi for inviting her to attend the ceremony, but she said she was unable to travel to Kartarpur border on the scheduled date.
In a historical event today, Prime Minister Imran Khan has laid the foundation stone of Kartarpur Corridor which will link Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan with India’s Gurdaspur district.