Pakistan regrets Indian pre-conditions for NSA talks

Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday said that Pakistan’s stand on the talks clearly violates the agreement signed between the two nations way back in 1998.

Hours before Aziz spoke in Islamabad, Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah was detained in New Delhi when he flew in from Srinagar to meet the Pakistani NSA, if he arrives as scheduled.

Although there was no clear official announcement regarding the cancellation of the talks from either side, a late night statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) on Friday suggested the meeting is unlikely to take place. Meanwhile, speaking to reporters Aziz said: “Kashmir is very much on agenda; still prepared to go to New Delhi for talks”.

Lauding government’s move in preventing Hurriyat leaders from meeting Pakistan NSA, Jain said India have shown the separatists their “real place” and the Hindu outfit is happy over the government action.

The Indian position will be clear later this afternoon when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj meets media at 4 pm in New Delhi.

“We are not advising them (separatists) on whether they should visit Delhi to meet Pakistan’s NSA or not”.

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full.

Recalling the discussions between the two Prime Ministers and their respective delegations in Ufa, Russia, on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, Aziz said, “We agreed on discussing all outstanding issues, and who doesn’t know what is the most important outstanding issue between the two countries”.

India called Pakistan’s decision “unfortunate”, reports Reuters.

Aziz said that Modi government wanted to deal with Pakistan “on his terms” by keeping Kashmir on the backburner, which is not acceptable to Pakistan.

The two countries have fought three wars – in 1948, 1965 and 1971 – since they were partitioned in 1947, two of which were fought over Kashmir.

“Let them bring their dossiers”, said Ms. Swaraj in reply. She added that according to the conditions agreed to by both nations, composite level issues can not be discussed on NSA level. Pakistan’s high commissioner to New Delhi had invited Kashmiri leaders for a meeting with Aziz. Another separatist leader Bilal Gani Lone, brother of J&K minister Sajad Gani Lone, was also placed under house arrest after he reached the national capital on Saturday evening. “It is violation of their fundamental rights”, he said. India said this was unacceptable.

He also said that talks and terrorism can never go together.