External affairs minister S.M. Krishna, in interviews on Wednesday to a news agency and a TV channel, criticised the Pakistan minister’s abrasive style in his interaction with the media. “I think we can put forward any contention that a country can face in a most forceful way but there has to be dignity, there has to be civility, and civility is certainly no weakness,” he asserted.
However, Mr Krishna said he was “quite satisfied” with his Pakistan visit as it was a confidence-building exercise and “to that extent, we have succeeded”.
Responding to a question on the BJP’s stand that India should not talk to Pakistan now, he said he had briefed the BJP leaders before his visit to Islamabad and conveyed the desirability of engaging Pakistan.
“There is no alternative. If somebody can come out with an alternative, I can consider that,” Mr Krishna noted.
On Tuesday, Mr Brajesh Mishra, a former national security adviser in the erstwhile BJP-led NDA government, had said the UPA government had made a “serious mistake” by talking to Pakistan and that the recently concluded talks were “bound to fail” as there were elements in India and Pakistan who were not particularly happy with the way the talks had been arranged.