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India cannot rush into talks: Fernandes
May 09, 2003 23:59 IST
Defence Minister George Fernandes on Friday said India will not rush into talks with Pakistan without 'weighing the pros and cons'.
In response to US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage's statement on Thursday that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has assured him that there were no terrorist training camps in PoK, Fernandes said, "There is plenty of evidence that camps exist not just in PoK but also in Pakistan."
Asked about the timeframe for resumption of dialogue with Pakistan, he said, "This time, it is clear to everyone that we cannot rush and we have to be careful about every step we take."
Fernandes said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's initiative was a 'bold step'. To a question why India has made the peace move when violence was still continuing in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, "There may be violence... but we need to sit face-to-face for a solution... that is the only way we can find a solution."
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