New Delhi, Oct 22: CPI-M today welcomed the fresh peace initiatives of the government to improve relations with Pakistan as also its decision to hold talks with the Hurriyat Conference, but said these steps should be "followed up with all sincerity". Stating that both initiatives were part of the same package, party polit bureau member Sitaram Yechury told reporters that these steps were "more in nature of declaration of intent of the government and should be followed up in full sincerity".
On the peace initiatives vis-a-vis Pakistan, he said doors for dialogue should never be closed and the announcements should "not just remain rhetoric. Given the past track-record, the government must exude a certain sense of sincerity in implementing them".
Welcoming the decision to have talks between Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and the separatist amalgam, Yechury said the government must spell out the agenda and "display a degree of sincerity".
Stating that the government had earlier appointed K C Pant, Arun Jaitley and N N Vohra, besides the initiative of Ram Jethmalani, he said "even before Vohra completed his task, Advani has been asked to speak to the Hurriyat".
Bureau Report