Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh today said the Indo-Pak talks must continue and the two countries should not remain hostage to elements who continue to carry out such events that aim to thwart and sabotage the peace process.
The Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha asked Pakistani leadership including the Army, to bring elements like ISI and Jaish-e-mohammed under control.
"Yes I am totally in favour of talks. These pinpricks are going to happen by vested interests like ISI which don't want peace to come. There is a nexus between smugglers, ISI and Jaish, as they are together and keep sending their operatives from across the border. Pakistan leadership must get these elements under control, as these people are trying to thwart the peace process. The talks should continue and peace be brought," he told PTI.
Singh said, "This will never end. Therefore, Pakistan's Prime Minister and Army chief must bring them under control. We cannot remain hostage to these events, as these hotheads in the ISI continue to do such things. The peace talks should continue as almost 99 per cent people want peace. Every time we will have such a pinprick, we cancel the talks. In such a way, we can never have talks."
The former Punjab chief minister said, "We cannot continue to watch our soldiers getting killed every time. That can stop only if there is peace. There is no alternative to peace and it can only be achieved through talks which should continue."
Amarinder claimed that Jaish-e-Mohammad which is behind the Pathankot attack is under direct control of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), which in turn was controlled by the Pakistan Army.
He said majority of Pakistanis want peace with India and it was only a small minority of 1 per cent like the Army and ISI which did not want peace between the two countries.
"We must beware of these elements and defeat their designs," he warned, adding for the people of Punjab and other border states peace was all the more important as otherwise they suffer the worst whenever there are hostilities between the two countries.
Asked about any nexus between the drug smugglers and the terror attack, he said the investigations are carrying on but it can be possible.
India has already provided Pakistan with concrete evidence of the purported links of the attackers in Pathankot with Pakistan and is awaiting action from its side. India has also not taken a call on Secretary-level talks between the two countries slated on January 15.
