Back your rhetoric on peace with solid action, says Punjab CM to Pak Army chief

Reacting to Pakistan Army chief's remarks that it was time for India and Pakistan to "bury the past and move forward", Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday said Infiltration into India from across the border is still happening and Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa should back his rhetoric on peace with solid action.

Punjab Chief Minister said, "Infiltration into India is still happening, Indian soldiers being killed at borders every day. They're (Pak) dropping arms and heroin into Punjab via drones. Efforts to create trouble in my state continue to take place. This should stop first, only then we can talk peace."

Terming Islamabad-sponsored terrorism as "the biggest hurdle to normalising relations between the two nations", Amarinder Singh said Bajwa should first control his Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and then talk about stability in the India-Pakistan relations.

Singh said that India cannot afford to go soft with Pakistan "till they walk the talk and prove their sincerity with concrete actions".

It is important for not just Bajwa but the entire Pakistan military apparatus to be on board with the idea of burying the past and paving the way for peace with India, said Amarinder, adding that it is not New Delhi but Islamabad which has obstructed the path of peace between the two countries.

"Are they all of the same view as shared by General Bajwa? Are they withdrawing all support to terror groups immediately? Have they asked ISI to back off and leave India alone?" These, said the Chief Ministers, are questions that need to be answered before India can start believing in, and responding to, Pakistan's overtures of peace. "India is all for peace, all Indians stand for peace, but India cannot compromise on its security and integrity," he stressed, adding that peace cannot be conditional.

Given the way the situation has evolved over the past few months, Pakistan's increasing collusion with China, which has been causing a whole lot of trouble for India on the other border, is a matter of concern, the Chief Minister said. "If Islamabad seriously wants peace with New Delhi, they should send out the message to Beijing, loud and clear, that Pakistan is not with them in the dangerous escapades at the Line of Actual Control (LAC)", he said, the press release reads.

Pakist Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday said that a stable relationship between India and Pakistan is key to unlocking the potential of South and Central Asia by ensuring connectivity between East and West Asia.

On Wednesday, Pakist Prime Minister Imran Khan said that India would have to take the first step for improving bilateral relations by addressing the Kashmir issue.

Last month, India and Pakistan had announced that they have agreed to a ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC).

( With inputs from ANI )