Congress always in favour of friendly ties with Pakistan: Mir

"Congress always favoured dialogue and friendly relations with Pakistan and always pursued a policy for engaging Pakistan for dialogue process," Congress state unit President Ghulam Ahmed Mir said.

"But it was the BJP which often indulged in negative rhetoric over these initiatives by the former Congress-led government at the Centre," he said.

He said the Congress follows the policy to have harmonious relations with its neighbours, especially Pakistan.

We had questioned the role of the BJP which always indulged in rhetoric on the issue for the sake of its domestic politics.

"The party (Congress) accused the Modi government for following an inconsistent and zig-zag policy towards Pakistan," he said.

He referred to the initiatives taken by the previous Congress-led governments from time to time to engage Pakistan in the process of bilateral dialogue to have better relations and resolve outstanding issues.

"However, at times the events and the situation emerging from Pakistan overtook the peace initiatives and derailed the peace process," he said.

He said that the historic initiatives of starting 'Cross LOC Trade' and the 'Bus Yatra' during the UPA regime under the Prime Ministerialship of Manmohan Singh was a major confidence building measures between the people of the two nations.

Accusing the BJP of indulging in the rhetoric for the sake of its domestic politics "which further vitiated the atmosphere for peace process and initiatives for normalizing the relations with Pakistan".