Defence Minister George Fernandes on Saturday said the slew of measures offered to Pakistan were part of India's "last effort" to take Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's peace initiative to its logical end and bring Islamabad to the negotiating table.
Asked whether he was quite categorical that it was the last effort by the prime minister, the defence minister told NDTV, "He (Vajpayee) used that term" during his public meeting in Srinagar.
Fernandes said a lot of people had tried to impress upon Vajpayee not to say that it was the last effort and we should continue to make efforts. "But the fact of the matter is that ultimately even the prime minister can get tired," he said.