Sagardighi (WB): Union Finance Minister
Pranab Mukherjee on Friday slammed BJP for criticising Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh who described his Pakistan counterpart
Yousuf Raza Gilani `a man of peace` and said former premier
Atal Behari Vajpayee had also visited Pakistan and signed
pacts to counter terrorism in 2004.
``All countries recognise that there is a need to talk
to Pakistan to counter terrorism,`` Mukherjee told reporters
on the sidelines of the inauguration of a school building,
here.
Mukherjee said Vajpayee had visited Pakistan in 2004
after terror attacks on Parliament, J and K Assembly and
Akshardham temple.
He said a bus service had also been introduced between
Delhi and Lahore when BJP was in power as a
confidence-building measure.
Mukherjee pointed out that if Pakistan was ready to
give the `Most Favoured Nation` status in trade with India and
if it was ready to curb terrorism and take action against
terrorists based in that country, who had attacked India,
"then both countries will benefit".
PTI
