“Keeping in mind the spirit of Ufa, don’t make Hurriyat a third party to the talks, and don’t expand the subject of talks beyond terrorism“, the minister said.
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While prospects of resumption of talks seem remote at this stage, the official said both countries would now use “backchannel” to sort out modalities before any future engagements.
A Foreign Ministry statement said the main objective of any dialogue between India and Pakistan is to reduce tensions and restore trust as a first step towards normalization.
Pakistan’s national security adviser, Sartaj Aziz, did not travel to New Delhi on Sunday as planned.
The NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan was cancelled by Pakistan after the two sides had disagreement on Kashmir being included in agenda for talk.
Aziz said he will exchange the dossiers of Indian spy agency Research and Analyses Wing’s involvement with Pakistan, even if he doesn’t get a chance for a meeting with Doval.
Pakistani Rangers resorted to three rounds of firing on a BoP along IB in Samba sector around 22:30 hours without any casualty. In the wake of nearing NSA- level talks politicos including opposition are ridiculing the move by NDA government.
India and Pakistan blamed each other for the cancellation of talks between their national security advisers that were scheduled for this week, with the rivals squabbling over the agenda.
Indian authorities were also demanding Pakistan not to hold talks with Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders who were invited at the reception at Pakistan’s High Commission. “If we are serious about getting something out of them, we have to engage with them”.
Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh said: “It is Pakistan which has cancelled the talks and not India“.
He said that it is not only in the interest of one country to have better relations with the other, this is need of both the countries.
Swaraj was reacting to Pakistan NSA Sartaj Aziz’s remarks that he was willing to come to India for talks without any pre-conditions.
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“India said Pakistan was attempting to provoke New Delhi into pulling out, citing a sharp pickup in cross-border firing and two militant attacks in India which it said were connected to terrorist groups in Pakistan”, the daily reported. Now with another high-level talk scheduled to take place between paramilitary forces and military officials, analysts are hoping for some sort of breakthrough in the stalemate.
