‘Will speak to Pakistan in language they understand — cricket, war or dialogue’

Commenting on the government's decision to allow the Pakistani cricket team to tour India, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has said that India is willing to speak to Pakistan in any language that they understand — be it cricket, war or dialogue.

"Agar woh cricket ki bhasha samajhte hain, toh hum cricket ki bhasha samjhayenge, agar woh yuddh ki bhasha samajhte hain, toh hum yuddh ki bhasha samjhayenge, aur agar woh baatchit ki bhasha samajhte hain, toh hum baatachit ki bhasha samjhayenge (If Pakistan understands the language of cricket, we will try to speak to them in that language; if they understand the language of war, we will speak to them in that language; and if they understand the language of dialogue, we will speak to them in that language," the minister said in an interview to India TV.

Khurshid also said that the future of India-Pakistan relations depends on action being taken against the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks and added that it is impossible to move ahead if Islamabad does not respond to a request for voice recordings of the perpetrators of the attack.

"If there has to be further movement in our relations, Pakistan must show accountability. Our then home minister P Chidambaram had given them a list of persons whose voice recordings were needed, but they did not send it," he said.

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