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India will not fire the first bullet towards Pakistan as it wants cordial relations with all its neighbours, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday told a visiting delegation from the country, which is in New Delhi for border talks.
“India wants friendly relations with all its neighbours. India will not fire the first bullet towards Pakistan along the border,” Mr. Singh told the delegation of Pakistan Rangers, headed by its Director General Maj. Gen. Umar Farooq Burki.
In his response, Mr. Burki told Mr. Singh that he was the “mere DG of a force and not the leadership” like the Home Minister and could not give any commitment in this regard.
Mr. Burki, however, said that he would convey Mr. Singh’s message to the Pakistani leadership.
The Home Minister further told the Pakistan Rangers delegation that it should be ensured that no infiltration takes place from Pakistan to India.
He also said that both India and Pakistan must unite against the menace of terrorism.
“Like India, Pakistan, too, is a victim of terrorism,” he told the Pakistani delegation.
Mr. Singh said India wanted to engage in dialogue with Pakistan at different levels and that was why Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently met his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif at Ufa in Russia.
“Unfortunately, the NSA-level talks did not take place. But we want to have a good relation with Pakistan. I am saying this not for formality’s sake, but tah-e-dil-se (from the bottom of the heart),” he said.
Quoting former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr. Singh further said that “we can change friends, but not the neighbours” and that was why it was necessary to have cordial relations with all neighbouring countries. (The Hindu)
