New Delhi: The BJP on Friday termed the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif a “breakthrough”.
The Bharatiya Janata Party said the talks were a success because “Pakistan has accepted our definition of terrorism”.
Modi and Sharif held a meeting on Friday morning on the sidelines of the SCO meeting in Ufa city in Russia.
“The meeting was a breakthrough, the reason for this is very clear as for the first time Pakistan has accepted our definition of terrorism,” BJP leader M.J. Akbar said at a press conference here.
“For the first time Pakistan has accepted to combat terrorism in ‘all its forms’,” he said, while pointing out that Pakistan had, for long, tried to play a nuanced game on this subject by trying to differentiate between good terrorism and bad terrorism; for India terrorism was always an unmitigated evil.
Akbar also pointed out that both sides have agreed to expedite the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case trial and will exchange voice samples of the accused.
“Pakistan has accepted the voice samples, which are the basis of our case. They were the evidence we provided, it was visible to the whole world. Now that Pakistan has accepted this, there is glimmer of light in the relationship between the two countries,” Akbar added.
The BJP leader also stressed on Modi’s stated position on wanting to improve India’s ties with all its neighbours so that the region can go forward on the path of prosperity.
“…but this prosperity requires peace and this common prosperity is only possible if all the countries take an united view on terrorism,” Akbar said.
As many as 166 people were killed in a terror attack carried by 10 Pakistani terrorists in Mumbai on November 26-28, 2008.