Dialogue process only way to tackle issues with Pakistan: Congress

NEW DELHI: Amid demands by BJP to call off talks with Pakistan after the twin terror attacks in Jammu region, Congress today said that "dialogue is the only way to tackle issues".


Condemning the terror strikes, party General Secretary Digvijay Singh also asked Pakistan to identify the rogue elements and noted that both the countries were "victims of terror" and should come together to fight the menace instead of blaming each other.

"(We) condemn militant attack in Jammu (region). Pakistan and India both (are) victims of terror and) must come together to fight (the menace) instead of blaming each other.

"They should also identify the rogue elements in the Establishment and effectively purge them. Dialogue is the only way to tackle issues," he said on the microblogging site Twitter.

Though there was no immediate response from official spokespersons of the party, party leader Rashid Alvi said that India wants good relations with Pakistan "but not at the cost of such terror incidents".

"It is very unfortunate. Let us wait for the truth to come out. If anybody from the soil of Pakistan is involved, we should think about even talking to the Prime Minsiter of that country. We want very good relations with Pakistan but not at the cost of such terror incidents," Alvi said.

In a twin terror attack, three heavily-armed militants dressed in army fatigues today stormed a police station and an army camp in Jammu region killing eight people including a Lieutenent Colonel, casting a shadow on the upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

Opposition BJP suspected Pakistan's hand behind the incident and demanded that the talks should be immediately called off, asking why the Prime Minister is in a "hurry" to meet Sharif.