The Congress on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Pakistan’s hardening of stance regarding the comprehensive bilateral dialogue, saying it was reflective of how the BJP government’s “flip-flop policy vis-à-vis Pakistan” has allowed Islamabad to set the agenda in the process. The main opposition party also slammed Islamabad, accusing it of betraying the peace process and its commitment to resolve all bilateral issues with New Delhi through negotiation. “Constructive engagement has always been the foundation of our relationship with our neighbours, including Pakistan. Sadly, this foundation is now shaky,” said Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala, adding, “In his quest for an image makeover as that of a statesman, PM Modi has dismantled the entire matrix of our strategic and diplomatic advantages over Pakistan.” "In his quest for an image make over as that of a world statesman, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dismantled the entire matrix of our strategic and diplomatic advantages over Pakistan," he claimed. Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, he said, "Narendra Modi has been run out by Pakistan in his dangerous quest for a non-existent run." "As a responsible opposition party and as Indians, we believe this moment allows us an opportunity to recalibrate, pause and reflect and course correct, and we would like to engage and offer support to the ruling dispensation if they deem it necessary," he said. He said that what is all the more tragic is the fact that efforts of previous Congress governments in isolating Pakistan internationally as an "epicenter of terror" have been undone because of "unthought of and poorly deliberated" moves by Modi in engagement with Pakistan. At the outset, he said Pakistan's unilateral suspension of talks with India yesterday is a "clear betrayal" of peace process and its commitment to resolve all bilateral issues through peaceful negotiation. He claimed that Modi government's Pakistan policy has confused its most ardent admirers and baffled security experts and diplomats alike. He lamented that the Prime Minister, ignoring all pleas, invited Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team to Pathankot to investigate the terror attack that originated from the Pakistani soil. "Modi and Amit Shah assured the nation that warm welcome is accorded to Pakistan's JIT including the infamous ISI. Despite repeated warnings by Congress party, government took a U-turn of making a distinction between State and non-State actors in Pakistan engaged in anti-India terror activities. "Naturally, Pakistan's JIT went back and preposterously blamed India for orchestrating the Pathankot terror attack itself," the Congress spokesperson said. He alleged that not only life is being breathed into a state recognized just a few years back as the epicentre of terror, but government is also permitting it to put Kashmir back on centrestage. Besides, he said that this new space available to Pakistan also showed that global powers like the US, Russia and China have been more than willing in demonstrating their support or keenness to engage with Pakistan. "The Chinese have supported Pakistan version on Masood Azhar and terrorism generally and sweetened the Pakistan cup with a multi-billion dollar economic corridor that itself recognizes Pakistan's rights over disputed tracts of land and legitimizes Chinese territorial claims over others," he said. He said that the Prime Minister and BJP need to seriously introspect and answer these important issues to the nation. [with PTI inputs]
