Congress Party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has stirred controversy again, when he said he loved Pakistan as much as India. (Image: IE)

Congress Party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has stirred controversy again, when he said he loved Pakistan as much as India. Speaking at a function in Karachi over the weekend, Aiyar said the need of the hour was for both countries to engage in uninterrupted dialogue. Aiyar said that while Islamabad has accepted the policy of and need for continuous dialogue to resolve issues of bilateral importance, New Delhi has not. “There is only one way to resolve the India- Pakistan issue and that is by way of uninterrupted and un-interruptible dialogue,” he said.

He added, “I love Pakistan because I love India. India should love thy neighbour as thyself.” Aiyar stressed that ‘Kashmir’ and ‘India-directed terrorism’ are the two main issues that need to be dealt with. He further said that India and Pakistan should adopt a framework that was formulated by the regime led by former president general (retired) Pervez Musharraf.