‘Handover Wanted Terrorists If You Want Better Ties With India’: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Tells Pakistan

In a strong message to India's pesky neighbour, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar said that Islamabad should handover Indians wanted for terrorist activities living in Pakistan, if it is serious about cooperation with India, reports the Hindustan Times.

Jaishankar particularly called out that Pakistan does not even deny sending terrorists to India and asserted, "Now tell me, which country would be willing to talk and negotiate with a neighbour who openly practices terrorism against it. We need actions that demonstrate a real willingness to cooperate."

Jaishankar made the strong statement in an interview to French newspaper Le Monde while responding to his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi's recent remark that relations of Pakistan with India are 'close to zero'.

“For example, there are Indians wanted for terrorist activities living in Pakistan. We are telling Pakistan: hand them over to us,” he said, in a clear reference to criminals like underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who is believed to be hiding in Pakistan.

It should be noted that the tensions between the two nations have been continuing to rise with Pakistan based and Pakistan bred terrorist outfits carrying out repeated dastardly attacks on Indian soils, while fomenting troubles in the Indian Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).