Patna, Feb 7: Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Saturday said his party would take `diplomatic' initiative to press for declaring Pakistan `a terrorist state' if the latter (Pak) did not not stop `aiding and abetting' terrorism in Kashmir."Though we stand for normalising bilateral ties with the neighbours, we will not not hesitate to raise the issue of declaring Pakistan a terrorist state at appropriate international forum if Islamabad fails to stop sponsoring terrorism in India," Joshi told a press conference.
"Maintaining friendship between the two countries can not be one-sided affair....It has to be reciprocated by other," he said.
Expressing concern over the recent massacre of Kashmiri pandits in Kashmir, he held the United Front government led by IK Gujral and the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah responsible for˙the `genocide'.
Joshi criticised the United Front government for not making any `diplomatic initiative' against Pakistan `despite the fact that the˙neighbour(Pakistan) is promoting terrorism in Kashmir valley. Taking a dig at the economic policy pursued by the United Front government, the BJP leader said, "The country's economic structure was totally shattered during its 18-month regime." "The industrial production has registered a sharp decline and even the giant public sector units including, the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has started incurring losses," he alleged.
Joshi said if voted to power the BJP would formulate `an economic agenda' through consensus for promoting world trade and ensuring all-round growth of the country's economy. "We will also consult all the opposition parties in our exercise for evolving the˙agenda," he said.Joshi said his party would maintain `optimum precautions' while signing any international agreement for trade.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
