At Attari, Rajnath warns Pak on acts of terror

Attari (Amritsar),
Home Minister Rajnath Singh today warned Pakistan to stop supporting acts of terror if it wished to improve relations with India and be its partner in ushering in peace and prosperity in the region.
Addressing a function organised to mark golden jubilee of the BSF’s raising near the Indo-Pak Border, Rajnath invoked former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “This is the same Attari-Wagah Border from where Vajpayee ji boarded a peace bus to Pakistan, extending a hand of friendship to it, but we got the Kargil War in return. Still, we didn’t deviate from the path of peace and again offered friendship to the neighbouring country. However, it did not yield desired results. Vajpayee ji had said we can change our friends but not neighbours.”
He wondered as to how long these “acts of terror” would continue stating that it was for Pakistan to ponder over the issue.
Referring to the last year’s suicide bomb at Wagah that killed over 60 people, he said it was a matter of grave concern. “Sitting here at the Border, I see that the land of both countries is green. I would like to ask Pakistani leaders as to why do you want to turn the soil red on either side?”
He said India wanted good relations with all its neighbours, including Pakistan, as it believed in the principle of “Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam” (the whole world is a family).
Later, replying to a media query on withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Kashmir, the Home Minster said the government would think over the issue, but the current scenario didn’t seem fit for it.
Evading a reply on the latest meetings of separatist Kashmiri leaders with the Pakistani envoy, he said these meetings were an annual feature on Pakistan’s Independence Day. He also avoided queries on the release of Masarat Alam and the BJP-PDP alliance. On the recent terror strikes in Kathua and Samba, he said the security forces had given a befitting reply by gunning down the terrorists.
He said the government had succeeded in getting 57 boats of Indian fishermen freed from Pakistan which would be reaching Porbandar soon. On the land acquisition Bill, he said the NDA government would never hurt farmers’ interests.