Srinagar, May 28: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said that India is ready for talks with Pakistan if it stops supporting “terrorists”.
“We are ready for talks. We have never said that we are not ready for talks. But there’s a caveat. Terror and talks don’t go together,” news gatherer quoted Swaraj as saying during a press conference in Delhi.
“This caveat has never been altered. If the border is volatile, then talks are difficult. Terror and talks don’t go together but talks on terror should go on,” she said when asked if India will negotiate with Pakistan at the highest levels.
“We never said we are not ready for talks, but there is a caveat. Terror and talks cannot go together, be it post elections(Pakistan general elections scheduled for July 25) or even before. Jab seema par janaze uth rahe hon,to baatcheet ki awaaz acchi nahi lagti: EAM Sushma Swaraj,” Sushma Swaraj tweeted.
Swaraj also responded to a question on Pakistan’s Gilgit Baltistan Order 2018, which reportedly alters the status of the region and allows the country to exercise administrative authority on the disputed region, IANS reported.
In another tweet, she said: “The answer we got in the response to what happened with Gilgit Baltistan Order 2018. was laughable. They tried to teach us history. Pakistan always distorts history & doesn’t believe in the law. Only thing I felt while reading their answer was, ‘look who’s talking’: EAM Swaraj.”
