Desire normal ties with Pak, all issues should be resolved bilaterally: MEA

NEW DELHI: Days after Indian and Pakistani armies agreed to strictly observe all their ceasefire agreements, India on Friday maintained that it desires normal relations with all neighbours, including Pakistan, and asserted all issues between the two countries should be resolved bilaterally and peacefully.

Asked about the observance of the ceasefire agreement by both sides, Ministry of External (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “I will direct you to the Ministry of Defence.”

“India desires normal relations with all its neighbours, including Pakistan. We have consistently maintained that issues, if any, between India and Pakistan should be resolved bilaterally and peacefully. Our position on key issues remains unchanged,” he said.

Meanwhile India has reacted to US-based watchdog Freedom House which in its latest report has downgraded India’s status as a democracy and free society to partly free.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “Political judgement of freedom house are as inaccurate and distorted as their maps, example on the covid situation there is widespread appreciation of the response of our recovery rate and low fatality rate.”

Freedom House which is also funded by the US government also drew criticism for showing a distorted India map on the cover of its report.

Freedom house in its report titled ‘Freedom in the World 2021 – Democracy under Siege’ said, “The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its state-level allies continued to crack down on critics during the year, and their response to COVID-19 included a ham-fisted lockdown that resulted in the dangerous and unplanned displacement of millions of internal migrant workers.”

MEA in its response said “India has robust institutions and well established democratic practices, we do not need sermons especially from those who don’t even get their basics right.” (Agency)