No offer of talks made to Pak, dialogue only in atmosphere free from terror: Govt tells Parliament

The government today said it has made no offer of talks to Pakistan and asserted that any meaningful dialogue with that country can be held only in a terror-free atmosphere. To another question on whether India had asked Pakistan to vacate areas occupied in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said India's consistent and principled position, as also enunciated in the 1994 Parliament resolution adopted unanimously, is that entire Jammu and Kashmir has been, is, and shall be an integral part of India. Responding to a separate question on whether Pakistan had denied access to the Indian envoy in Islamabad and consular officials to visit Gurudwara Panja Sahib to meet visiting Indian pilgrims, Singh said they were not given entry into the gurdwara despite travel permissions having been granted by the Pakistan's Foreign Ministry. He said Pakistan's claim that the Indian pilgrims declined to meet the High Commission officials was categorically refuted. "It was conveyed to Pakistan that the Indian organisers, Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, have expressed grave concern and dismay that Indian High Commissioner and the High Commission officials were denied access despite the visiting pilgrims from India having asked Pakistan organisers to facilitate a meeting with them," he said.