JALANDHAR: Federal External Affairs Minister Inder Kumar Gujtal has said that election to the Punjab assembly will be held in due course but added that restoration of peace and normalcy in the State was a prerequisite.
Talking to newsmen on his first visit here as the External Affairs Minister, Gujral said there will be no compromise on the issues of unity, integrity, and upholding of the constitutional process. Nor will there be any compromise with the secessionists on the issue of so called Khalistan, he added.
Gujral said the visit of Prime Minister VP Singh to Amritsar district this month and the subsequent all party meeting were the steps which speak of the sincerity of the Central government in giving top Priority to the Punjab issue.
On the question of creating a security belt across the border, as demanded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), External Affairs Minister said, “all necessary steps will be taken to effectively seal the border with Pakistan.”
When asked if the Pakistan government has been approached for taking joint steps to tide over the problem of smuggling, Gujral said that no particular step has been taken and that already process is going on to check smuggling of arms and drugs.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 29, 1989
