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Pakistan must discard its attitude of enmity: Vajpayee

IRNA

New Delhi, Dec 26, IRNA -- A "good beginning" could be made to improv 
Indo-Pakistan ties from next month`s South Asian Association for 
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit in Islamabad if Pakistan is ready 
to give up its "attitude of enmity" towards India, Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee has said. 
According to the Pioneer, a New Delhi-based English daily, 
"Pakistan`s conduct at the SAARC summit starting in Islamabad early 
next month will only show whether it wants to improve its relations 
with India". 
Vajpayee, who would be attending the four-day summit from January 
4, said in an interview to Dainik Jagran, a New-Delhi based Hindi 
daily that good talks have been held earlier also "but the basic 
question is whether Pakistan is prepared to give up its attitude of 
enmity towards India. If yes, a good beginning can be made to improve 
the ties from the SAARC Summit". 
Asked whether Pakistan`s intention to improve ties is clear, 
Vajpayee said, "We will only know in Islamabad whether there is any 
basic change in Pakistan`s attitude." He, however, wanted to know why 
Pakistan has not granted Most Favoured Nation status to India when 
New Delhi has already taken such a step. 
"If trade between the two countries grows, the flow of people 
begins and becomes easier and Pakistan sheds its anti-India attitude 
at national and international fora, then a change in the present 
situation can be possible," he said. 
Vajpayee also spoke about relations with Pakistan while addressing
party workers who had come to greet him at his residence on the 
occasion of his 79th birthday on Thursday. 
Vajpayee said that the people had intrinsic faith in the 
government in its dealings with Pakistan as they knew it would never 
do anything against the country`s interests. 
"People felt that we can commit mistakes and also can slip in 
conduct but will never do anything against the interests of the 
country," he said. 
On the world scenario, Vajpayee said the stature of India had gone
up in the world estimation and everyone looked at India and its 
actions. 
"The advantage for India was that it always tendered sound and 
correct advice taking a comprehensive view into consideration," he 
said. 
/211 
End