Hindu extremist groups are a hurdle to normalcy: Pakistan Interior Minister

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said Hindu extremist groups like the RSS, Shiv Sena and Abhinav Bharat were the biggest hurdles in the way of normalisation of ties between the two countries.

In a statement on Monday, Khan said that such extremist groups had an influence over the Indian government. He also described Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj’s recent statement on India-Pakistan relations as surprising.

Swaraj had said that the prime ministers of the two countries enjoyed good relations but some forces didn’t want a normalisation of bilateral ties. In a conference in New Delhi, Swaraj said the warmth and ease in relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif could help resolve complex issues, and added that there were forces which do not want good relations between the two neighbours.

Khan said if Swaraj was serious and determined about having better ties with Islamabad, she should not talk in riddles or try for political point scoring. He also called on Swaraj to point out the forces which were against good ties between Islamabad and New Delhi. He asked Swaraj not to portray the Nawaz-Modi relations as personal.

The Interior Minister further questioned Swaraj’s claim of New Delhi being serious about bringing normalcy to the ties between the two neighbours, adding that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent speech in the US Congress exposed his ‘so-called’ friendship policy vis-a-vis Pakistan.