Will hold talks if Pakistan stops sponsoring terror: Rajnath Singh

SRINAGAR: The Modi government is willing to hold dialogue with Pakistan provided it stops sponsoring crossborder terrorism, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said here Tuesday.
Singh said the Centre is ready to hold talks with anyone, including Pakistan but terror and dialogue can never go together.
“We are ready for talks with anybody. PM (Narendra Modi) went an extra mile and flew to Pakistan and met his Pakistani counterpart and his family to establish good neighbourly relations but Pakistan didn’t take any step for creating a conducive atmosphere for talks to resolve issues, including Kashmir and establish peace in the region,” the home minister said.
The home minister announced Rs 5 lakhs ex-gratia to the kin of the Kulgam blast victims. Meanwhile, Pakistan PM Imran Khan said he will resume peace talks with India after the 2019 elections.
Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, he claimed that his olive branch to India had been “rebuffed” by the Indian side due to the upcoming elections, as an “anti-Pakistan rhetoric brings in votes” in the nation.
(With agency inputs)