New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused Pakistan of exporting militancy and said militant activities have impacted not only India but the entire world.
“India is not its only victim of militant activities but it has impacted the entire world”, Modi said, calling Pakistan an “epicentre of turmoil”.
Urging its leadership to “abandon the path of militancy” and work towards peace. Modi in a podcast with Lex Fridman talked about his efforts at bringing peace between India and Pakistan.
He also mentioned that the people of Pakistan themselves long for peace, as they have suffered from years of internal unrest and militancy related violence.
Elaborating on his surprise visit to Lahore in 2015, aimed at fostering better ties between the two countries. the Prime Minister said, “For peace efforts, I myself visited Lahore. I even invited the Prime Minister to my oath-taking ceremony so that we have a new beginning. But every noble attempt at peace was met with hostility and betrayal”.
However, he lamented that every peace initiative was met with hostility and betrayal from Pakistan. Modi added: “A proxy war is going on and this is not an ideology. They are exporting militants.
“Wherever a militant attack occurs in the world, Pakistan finds its involvement somewhere,” he said.
Recalling 9/11, the Prime Minister said the world knows Paskistan’s terror mindset. “It has become a problem for the world, not just India,” he said. adding “State-sponsored militancy should end. They have left everything to non-state actors”.
When Fridman asked about the India-China relationship, Modi said “Our relationship should remain just as strong in future and it should continue to grow”.
PM Modi said, “In 2020, the incidents along the border created significant tensions between our countries. However, after my recent meeting with President Xi, we have seen a return to normalcy at the border. We are now working to restore conditions”.
Asserting that there was no “real history of conflicts” between India and China, Modi said bilateral ties have been extremely strong with deep cultural connections. “Both nations have ancient cultures and civilisations. For centuries, India and China have learnt from each other and understood one another.
On the Russian-Ukraine conflict, Modi emphasised “diplomacy and dialogue” as the key to resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, urging direct negotiations between both nations.
“I have a close relationship with Russia and Ukraine alike,” PM Modi stated. “I can sit with President Putin and say that this is not the time for war. And I can also tell President Zelensky, in a friendly way, that regardless of how many people stand with you in the world, there will never be a resolution on the battlefield”.
“Ukraine may hold countless discussions with their allies, but it will bear no fruit. Discussions must include both parties instead,” he said, underscoring that negotiations remain the only viable route to peace” he said.
