New Delhi: Defence Minister AK Antony on Saturday ruled out India engaging in dialogue with Pakistan without the terror camps operating on Pakistani soil being shut down or destroyed. Antony said that there are around 42 terror camps operating in Pakistan and that Islamabad was using the aid given by the US against India.
"Pakistan is using the aid provided by the US to fight terrorism against India," said Antony.
Antony's comments come in the backdrop of Lashkar-e-Toiba operative Tahawwur Rana's trail in connection with the Mumbai terror attacks in a US court and the killing of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, near Islamabad.
Rana and 26/11 co-accused David Coleman Headley have claimed that Pakistani intellegence agency, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), mastermined the Mumbai attacks.
Meanwhile, the US has drawn up a list of five terrorists, including Illyas Kashmiri and four others involved in the Mumbai attacks.
The list was discussed during three meetings between Pakistani and US officials in the past two weeks, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's talks with Pakistani leaders in Islamabad on Friday
Antony also confirmed that India has now resumed military ties with China that were broken off over the stapled visa issue.
Emphasising on the need for dialogue, Antony said India wants to have good relations with Pakistan.
"Dialogue is an important factor. Without dialogue nothing can be achieved," he said.
Antony said government's stand was clear that it wants to maintain a cordial relationship with all its neighbours. "We can change our friends, but we cannot change our neighbours," he said, adding "We know the reality that we have to live along with our neighbours. Even though we have problems with our neighbours, we are trying to re-establish our friendship."
with additional information from PTI
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