Modi says India wants normalization of ties, puts onus on Pakistan 

ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that New Delhi wanted normalization of its relations with Islamabad, but put the onus on Pakistan, international media reported, as the Indian premier geared up for a Group of Seven summit in Japan’s Hiroshima. 

Modi said he was looking forward to discussing global changes and challenges in areas such as energy, digital technology and supply chains at the Hiroshima summit, Japanese newspaper Nikkei Asia reported ahead of his arrival in Japan on Friday evening. 

India, which is not a G-7 member, was invited by the summit host and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has repeatedly expressed his own determination to strengthen ties with the so-called Global South, or the developing world. 

During the interview, the Indian premier also touched on New Delhi’s ties with two of its closest neighbors, Pakistan and China, and said New Delhi wanted “normal and neighborly relations” with Islamabad. 

“However, it is incumbent upon them to create a conducive environment free from terrorism and hostilities,” he said. “The onus is on Pakistan to take necessary steps in this regard.” 

Ties between bitter rivals India and Pakistan stand frozen since August 5, 2019, when New Delhi revoked semi-autonomous status of the part of Kashmir it controls, dividing it into two federally administered territories. 

The Muslim-majority Himalayan region has been a bone of contention between Pakistan and India since their independence from the British rule in 1947. Both neighbors rule parts of the Himalayan territory, but claim it in full and have fought two of their four wars over the disputed region. 

Pakistan calls the revocation of Kashmir’s autonomy part of New Delhi’s alleged attempts to change the demography of the region, and has demanded the world fraternity take notice of it. 

A large chunk of Ladakh plateau in Kashmir is also under the Chinese control. Relations between New Delhi and Beijing have also been strained since a military clash in Ladakh killed 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers in 2020. 

Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, will host a meeting of the tourism working group for the Group of Twenty (G20) members on May 22-24. 

While Pakistan and China have opposed the summit in the disputed region, New Delhi has countered the objections, saying it is free to hold meetings on its own territory. 

As Modi steps up his international diplomacy, he is also keeping an eye on next year’s general elections in India. His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeks a third straight term in power, with Modi still widely popular with the masses. 

“Our progress is evident, as we have risen from being the tenth largest economy in 2014 to now being the fifth largest globally,” Modi told Nikkei Asia. 

“While it is true that global headwinds pose challenges to growth, we have built a strong foundation in recent years, which positions us favorably.”