India should hold talks with Pakistan after JeM chief's arrest: Shiv Sena

NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena today said that India should hold talks with Pakistan only after the arrest and handing over of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar by Islamabad to New Delhi for his terror acts.

Party leader Sanjay Raut said that it has been the "consistent" position of the Sena that Masood Azhar should be first handed over to India to make the atmosphere conducive for talks between the two countries.

"It is the usual game being played by Pakistan of detaining some people, arresting them and then releasing them and later letting them off. It had also happened after the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes," he said.

Raut was reacting to India and Pakistan today deferring their foreign secretary-level talks to "very near future" even as the Indian government welcomed the apprehending of Jaish-e-Mohammad ( JeM) members linked to the Pathankot terror attack and agreed to the visit of a Pakistani SIT to India.