Hazaribagh, Nov 03: India today said its peace initiatives with Pakistan might continue but asserted no lasting solution to the Kashmir issue can be found until it gets back Pakistan occupied Kashmir. External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said told reporters here, "No lasting solution to the Kashmir imbroglio can be found unless Pakistan ends its illegal occupation of POK and hands it over to India as we consider POK as an integral part of our country."
He ruled out dialogue with Pakistan unless Islamabad stopped cross-border terrorism and dismantled terrorist infrastructure aimed at India.
Confidence building measures and peace initiatives, Sinha said, may continue but a substantive and productive dialogue was not possible as long as Pakistan continued to sponsor terrorism in India.
Reiterating that New Delhi`s initiatives for normalisation of ties with Islamabad reflected its sincere desire for peace, the minister regretted that Pakistan had failed to reciprocate them.
It was Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who took the first step towards restoration of full-fledged diplomatic ties with the appointment of a high commissioner for Pakistan recalled after terror strike on parliament, Sinha pointed out.
It was Vajpayee again who facilitated resumption of people-to-people contact and exchange of trade delegations, he said adding, "Now we have offered a 12-point peace initiative but, sadly, Pakistan is yet to respond with the required positiveness."
Replying to a question, the minister said India`s relations with China had improved considerably and talks between the two countries to settle the border dispute were moving in the right direction. Bureau Report