Pakistan censors Rajnath Singh's speech in Islamabad

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday blacked out Rajnath Singh's address to SAARC home ministers' meet in Islamabad.

Media was not allowed to cover Singh's speech at the SAARC meeting.

Addressing the SAARC meeting, Rajnath called for tough action against terrorism and countries supporting it, saying terrorists should not be glorified as "martyrs".

"There is no good or bad terrorism. Terrorism is terrorism. There should be no glorification or eulogising of terrorists as martyrs," Singh said.

The ongoing strain in Indo-Pak relations was evident at the SAARC interior/home ministers' conference when home minister Rajnath Singh came face- to-face with his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan for the first time on Thursday and the two leaders barely shook hands.

As Singh arrived at the venue of the conference at the posh Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Khan was at the gate to receive the dignitaries. The two leaders barely touched their hands, not even a formal handshake, before Singh moved ahead to enter the meeting hall.

Both Rajnath Singh and Chaudhary Nisar also skipped the lunch at the meeting venue.