India gives priority to action against terror over talks with Pakistan

Toughening its stand, India Wednesday made it clear that it would give always priority to action against terror over talks with Pakistan.

"In the aftermath of a terror attack, if you ask me what will you give priority to, the terror attack or a dialogue, I think the answer is obvious," said Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar.

The Foreign Secretary's remarks came in the wake of Pakistan indicating that it might hand over the Pathankot air base terror attacks mastermind, Jaish-e-Mohammed militant outfit chief Masood Azhar, to India only after a thorough probe by Islamabad.

"First of all, we have to investigate ourselves and (find out) what it is... if he (Masood) does something (wrong) we would move against (him)," Sartaj Aziz, the Foreign Affairs Advisor to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, had said Tuesday.

In fact, the Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries have been in a limbo since the terror attacks on the Indian Air Force base in January.

India has accused Pakistani terrorists for the Pathankot air base attacks and submitted evidence to Islamabad against Azhar, and also said that the fate of the Foreign Secretary-level talks will largely depend on the Pakistani investigation into the massacre. Endit