Pakistan NSA Sartaj Aziz addresses media before crucial talks with India

Indian media reports on Friday even prematurely reported that India had cancelled the meeting and observers on all sides have lost faith in any progress being made.

He added that Pakistan does not disregard agreements or understandings. BJP leader RK Singh said that Pakistan is not in position to act against terrorism and that any talks with the latter won’t be fruitful.

In a meeting comprising Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharrif and army chief General Raheel Sharif it was decided that talks should include “all bilateral disputes”, including Kashmir.

He said both the countries should definitely talk to resolve the complex issues between them but there should be an atmosphere for it. Pakistan has asserted that it will not cancel a meeting with the separatists.

The trading of charges just hours before a meeting of the national security advisers (NSA) of the nuclear-armed neighbours could derail talks for the second time under the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and further sour relations.

Indian officials have insisted that among several issues, the talks should focus on a lack of justice for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, as well as ceasefire violations along the border.

“India has always held the position that there are only two stakeholders in our relationship, not three“, he said. He was sharply critical of the Indian government for its insistence that he should not meet Kashmiri separatist leaders while in New Delhi and said this was akin to controlling the guest list for a reception being held for him at the Pakistan High Commission tomorrow.

“It is not reasonable for India to now assume the right to decide unilaterally that from now onwards, other issues will be discussed after terrorism has been discussed and eliminated”, the statement from Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.

“We sent a letter to them on July 23 for holding NSA-level talks in New Delhi on August 23”.

“The process of talks should continue because that is the only way we have to deescalate the current tensions which are arising”.

“We are not advising them (separatists) on whether they should visit Delhi to meet Pakistan’s NSA or not”. The court also directed the government to release Alam from detention.