AMN /
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India needs to be always alert and conscious in its engagements with Pakistan. In an interview to a private TV channel yesterday, Mr Modi said, there were different types of forces operating in Pakistan but India engages only with a democratically-elected government.
The Prime Minister asserted that India’s efforts for engagement with Pakistan is on with peace as supreme objective, but the security forces have full freedom to answer back in whatever manner they have to.
Mr Modi said, India always wanted to have friendly ties with her neighbours and the initiatives taken by his government in dealing with Pakistan have strengthened India’s stand internationally. He also said that India would have to drive home the advantage on the fact that the world is now convinced of India’s views on terrorism from across the border, by continuing to put forth its views on this matter.
Answering a range of questions, Mr Modi touched upon issues relating to foreign policy, India’s attempt to enter the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and his Government’s policies in the last two years. He said, India has been making efforts towards the NSG since the beginning, but it was his government that got India the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) membership.
Asked whether he is disappointed as China blocked India’s bid for membership of the NSG and how close it was to getting it, Mr. Modi said things will move forward as per rules. On China scuttling India’s NSG bid and its efforts to get Masood Azhar banned by the UN despite his frequent interactions with Chinese President, the Prime Minister said efforts are on to resolve issues with that country through talks. He said China has also been cooperative towards finding solutions. Mr. Modi also said there are some issues in which the two countries differ from each other, but the most important thing is that India is now talking to China eye-to-eye and raising the issues of its interests boldly.
On willful defaulters and economic offenders, Prime Minister warned them saying his government will set them right with the help of law. Mr. Modi said people of the country have full confidence that only he can bring such cases to a logical conclusion.