Pakistan on Friday reacted sharply to Indian’s advisory on its NSA’s meeting with J&K separatists and said, “The talks with Hurriyat are on”.
Advertisement
They are a follow-up to the unexpected meeting in July between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Nawaz Sharif, who agreed on the sidelines of a summit in Russian Federation to arrange a meeting between their security advisers.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will meet his Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz for the talks scheduled in the national capital on Sunday.
Ever since Modi and Sharif met at Ufa, tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated due to intermittent firing and shelling by the Pakistani military along the Jammu and Kashmir border.
Earlier on Thursday, the FO spokesperson had stated that inviting Kashmiri leaders for meetings and participation in various events hosted by our High Commission is a long standing practice.
In August previous year, India had cancelled Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan after its envoy invited separatist leaders for consultations ahead of the meeting in Islamabad.
Indian officials say the NSA-level talks may be called off if Aziz meets Hurriyat leaders.
According to the sources, the Indian government plans to arrest the Kashmiri separatist leaders if they attempt to travel to Delhi. However, both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating the truce. In the last week, at least nine civilians were killed and scored injured on both sides of the territory, which is divided between India and Pakistan but claimed by both.
Three Kashmiri separatists, who were placed under house arrest this morning, were freed less than two hours later.
Advertisement
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has said that it hoped that India will allow Kashmiri leaders to meet with Aziz in New Delhi. There’s been no word from Indian officials. “By experience, we’ve seen hard talk has not worked in diplomacy”. “There is a dire need for the two countries to adjust their positions to avert death and destruction in the region”.
