Why not talk to Pakistan if dialogue with China is possible, asks Mani Shankar Aiyar

New Delhi, Aug 2 (IANS) Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Saturday called for the resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan, while strongly criticising the current foreign policy approach of the Indian government, saying it "lacks both principles and direction." He also said that India continues to maintain hostility towards Pakistan while being open to talks with China.

In an interview with IANS, Aiyar questioned why India continues to maintain hostility towards Pakistan while being open to diplomatic engagement with China, despite the latter's military proximity to Pakistan during recent tensions.

"When India and Pakistan were engaged in a military conflict during 'Operation Sindoor', the Chinese Army was backing the Pakistani Air Force. If dialogue is possible with Beijing, then why not with Islamabad?" he said.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement during his Russia visit, where he said that "this is not an era of war" and that dialogue and diplomacy were the only solutions, Aiyar asked why that principle is not applied to India's dealings with Pakistan.

"The Chinese Army was there with the Pakistani Air Force during the conflict. You (the government) are ready to talk to China, so why not talk to Pakistan? PM Modi says that this is not an era of war, so why are we fighting with Pakistan? He told Russia that dialogue and diplomacy are the only way, but we don't engage with dialogue or diplomacy with Pakistan. With China, the dialogue only started recently," he added.

Aiyar also took aim at what he described as a rudderless foreign policy, questioning, "Our diplomacy neither has a knowledge of principles nor a goal, then what kind of diplomacy and foreign policy is this?"

The Congress leader further raised the issue of US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of having brokered a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan -- claims that have been consistently denied by New Delhi. Aiyar questioned why the Indian government has not officially refuted President Trump's assertions more strongly.

"Trump has claimed several times that the US brokered the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, but our government is not ready to say that he is lying. The government does not have the courage to speak truth to power and their so-called friends and enemies," he said.

"Trump's claims of credit for India's ceasefire agreement are accepted by Pakistan, but India has denied any mediation occurred. Hence, Islamabad is getting all the benefits, and we are facing the punishment," Aiyar added.

--IANS

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