The government of Pakistan has placed some restrictions on the insurgents but success does not come through half-measures and it is important the terror infrastructure is dismantled (by Pakistan) from its roots.
–Manmohan Singh, March 31, 2009.
Six years and an entire government change later the Indian rhetoric remains the same: deal with terrorism and we will talk. In this very interview with Financial Times Manmohan Singh continued saying when questioned about the Mumbai attacks, “We are victims of terrorism and we hope that whatever the world community plans to do they will pay adequate attention that terrorism ceases to be a problem in Afghanistan as well as Pakistan. We all know the epicentre of terrorism in the world today is Pakistan.” Despite the comments in the interview Dr. Manmohan Singh had dreamt of bringing Pakistan and India together but could not have done so without facing severe backlash from the BJP. Modi has done what he could not with his own personalized style of diplomacy. Prime minister Nawaz Sharif is playing his part and extending hospitality beyond the comfort zones of other parties involved in the country’s affairs. It is time that India lets go of its animosity and moves beyond the aggression to a more agreeable path of long lasting peace in the region.