TRUSTWORTHINESS OF INDIA’S NEIGHBOUR? from: Ashok Chowgule date:Tue, Aug 19, 2014 at 12:57 AM subject: Atal Bihari Vajpayee's response to the handshake at Kathmandu
During the SSARC meeting at Kathmandu, this is what Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former PM of India, said: “I am glad that President Musharraf extended a hand of friendship to me. I have shaken his hand in your presence. Now President Musharraf must follow its gesture by not permitting any activity in Pakistan or any territory under its control which enables terrorists to perpetuate mindless violence in India. I say this because of our past experience. I went to Lahore with a hand of friendship. We were rewarded with aggression in Kargil and the hijacking of an Indian Airlines aircraft. I invited President Musharraf to Agra. We were rewarded with a terrorist attack on the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and, last month, on the Parliament of India.” To this Sri Narendra Modi, the present PM of India, would today add, “I invited Nawaz Sharif to the inaugural function. We were rewarded by continuing border violations, and a meeting by the Pakistani High Commissioner in India with the separatists from the Kashmir Valley.”