NEW DELHI: Talking tough in the wake of attack on an army camp in Nagrota, India made it clear that talks with Pakistan “cannot take place” in an atmosphere of “continued terror”, which it would never accept as “new normal” in the bilateral relationship.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the government was awaiting detailed information on the specifics of the Nagrota attack before it decides on the next steps.
“But I do wish to emphasise that the government takes this incident very seriously and will do what it feels is required for our national security,” he asserted.
Asked if there would be bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia (HoA) Conference in Amritsar on December 3 and 4, he said, “We have not received any request from Pakistan for a bilateral meeting. India has always been open to talks but obviously it cannot be that talks take place in an atmosphere of continued terrorism. India will never accept continued terrorism as the new normal in the bilateral relationship,” Swarup said.
Meanwhile, the Indian government on Friday, referring to a telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and US president-elect Donald Trump, said it looked forward to Trump helping Pakistan “address the most outstanding of its outstanding issues”, the Times of India reported.
