India rejects Pak PM's peace proposal
India on Thursday rejected Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's four-point peace proposal, with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj telling the UN General Assembly (UNGA) that Pakistan must “give up terrorism” if it wanted to improve ties.
“Instead of four proposals, we need only one point: that Pakistan end support to terror groups,” Swaraj said.
On Wednesday, Sharif had told the UNGA that Pakistan had tried to reach out to India, and proposed formalising the ceasefire, demilitarising Kashmir and the Siachen Glacier, and agreeing to end the use of force.
Responding to Sharif, Swaraj said India wanted to go ahead with talks, but in an atmosphere free from terror and violence. For this, she said, India wanted National Security Advisor-level talks on “all issues related to terrorism”, followed by a meeting of Directors General of Military Operations of the two countries. “If the response is serious and credible, India is prepared to address all outstanding issues through bilateral dialogue.”
Addressing the UNGA in Hindi, Swaraj called on the world to unite on the challenge of terror, saying that the UN must pass the Comprehensive Convention on International Terror in the current 70th year of the world body.
Taking another swipe at Pakistan, she said the world should oppose all countries which “finance, train, and support terror groups”.
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