MEA says terror-free conducive environment necessary for India-Pakistan talks

New Delhi: India on Thursday made it clear that for talks with Pakistan to go ahead, there has to be a conducive environment and atmosphere free of terror and free of terrorists receiving support from Islamabad. [caption id=“attachment_3883291” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] The remarks by External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar came in response to a question regarding reports from Pakistan on the possibility of resumption of stalled India-Pakistan talks. “Our stand remains the same. We have always maintained that for the talks to go ahead there should be a conducive environment and atmosphere. And that environment has to be created which is free of terrorism and free of terrorists getting support from Pakistan,” he asserted. India and Pakistan had announced resumption of talks under the comprehensive bilateral dialogue format during External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit to Islamabad in December 2015. However, the dialogue hit a roadblock after the Pathankot terror strike by a Pakistan-based terror outfit in 2016. On a question about SAARC, Kumar said it is one country that needs to create conditions where such talks will have meaning and will be successful.