By Zahid Rafiq and Aamir Latif
SRINAGAR, Indian-held Kashmir
India on Friday has responded strongly after Pakistan insisted on meeting separatist leaders from Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir before the bilateral meeting between National Security Advisors (NSA) of both countries on Sunday.
The talks between the two nuclear neighbors are thought to be hanging by a thread as standoff emerges over the proposed meeting between Pakistani officials and Kashmiri leaders.
“The statement by the government of Pakistan today on the NSA level talks with India does not come as a surprise. There has been a pattern to Pakistan’s actions after the Ufa Summit and today’s position is a culmination of that approach,” Vikas Swarup, official spokesman of India’s Foreign Ministry said at a press conference on Friday evening.
Swarup said that the prime ministers of both the countries had agreed on the NSA meeting in Ufa, Russia, and discuss all issues connected to terrorism.
“This was the only agenda set for them by the two prime ministers,” Swarup said adding that Pakistan’s insistence on meeting Hurriyat as a precondition is also a complete departure from the Ufa understanding.
“India has always held the position that there are only two stake holders in our relationship, not three,” Swarup said.
“India remains committed to discussing issues with Pakistan peacefully and bilaterally. In fact, we took the initiative to engage at Ufa. But, unilateral imposition of new conditions and distortion of the agreed agenda cannot be the basis for going forward,” he added.
Pakistan had turned down earlier a request from India to cancel a dinner with Kashmiri separatist leaders ahead of bilateral security talks.
