Cross-border Terrorism Can't Be Basis for Starting Discussion with Pakistan, Says Jaishankar

External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday categorically said that India cannot allow cross-border terrorism to become basis for initiating a discussion with Pakistan.

Addressing a townhall meeting, he said that it is not possible to have a normal relationship with Pakistan until there is an “abrogation of this policy of cross-border terrorism”.

He termed Pakistan an exception when it comes to the neighbourhood.

"The fact is we can’t allow terrorism to be normalised. We cannot allow that to become a basis to come into discussion with Pakistan,” Jaishankar said.

“To me, it's a fairly commonsense proposition. If anything, I am still a little perplexed by why we have not arrived at this position earlier. But we have arrived at it now,” he minister added.

Jaishankar said that until there is abrogation of this policy of cross-border terrorism, clearly it is not possible to have a normal relationship.

On the issue of Canada handling Khalistani elements, the Minister said that their stand seems to be driven by vote bank politics.

"Their responses have been constrained by what they regard as vote bank compulsions," he noted. "We have made it very clear that if there are activities in Canada that impinge on our national security or territorial integrity, then we will have to respond. You can see that this has impacted our ties in many ways in the last few years," Jaishankar underlined.