Ahmedabad, Sept 28: After a tough stand taken at the United Nations towards Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today said the world should take note of Islamabad's failure to reciprocate India's peace initiative. "World should take note of the fact that Pakistan has failed to reciprocate peace initiative taken by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee," he told.
Observing that normalcy was returning to the state, judged by increased tourist inflow and holding of several conferences including Inter-State Council meeting, Advani said people wanted peace, which continued to elude the state.
"Peace continues to elude the state because it is dependent very much on Pakistan abandoning cross-border terrorism which it refuses to do," he said.
"If peace has been a casualty for the last two decades in the state, it is essentially because of Pakistan," Advani said.
Terming Vajpayee's peace initiative as a "major move", the Deputy Prime Minister said free and fair elections and political changeover in the state had created a climate for peace and normalcy.
Asked about resumption of talks with Pakistan, Advani said Islamabad should at least make an earnest effort to contain terrorism and "it acquires momentum on its own”.
Bureau Report