Gurgaon: India on Friday made it very clear that its decision to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan was not a "dilution" of its demand for action against perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack and said Islamabad must deliver on its "frequently indicated promise" in this regard.
Articulating India's expectation from Pakistan in the 26/11 case, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said, “We do hope this (resumption of cricketing ties) will be seen more of an attempt to persuade those people that this is collaborative effort and what was a conflict must be put to an end. It is a conflict on which there must be delivery of expectations that we have but we don't want the clock to come to a standstill, clock does move forward..."
The minister, addressing a press conference here, said, "As far as cricket is concerned, we are certainly concerned about issues that relates to accountability for very unforeseen attack on our citizens and we expect all countries, including our neighbour country Pakistan to deliver on their frequently indicated promise of that they will make these people accountable. There is no question of dilution of our demand and expectation..."
The minister also said that his understanding of dealing with difficult issues with neighbours is that those matters on which no immediate resolution was possible should be put aside and continue with those on which consensus can be achieved for improvement in relations.
"I don't think isolation or cutting of any contact or communication has ever helped," Khurshid said in his first official press interaction after becoming the External Affairs Minister on Sunday. However, he said no decision was "irreversible" and as when and there was a requirement for a review, it will be done.
Asserting that India was cautious, careful and committed as far as its security was concerned, Khurshid said, however, they should look at the possible "future that is not held hostage by the past". On the decision of resuming the sporting ties, he said, "These are issues that are decided by people who have
authority and have mandate on how far we should go and we should have faith in them."
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