Islamabad: Pakistan has categorically stated that it will not hold a ‘conditional’ meet with India on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the neighbouring country’s national security adviser said, underscoring a wide gap and mutual distrust between the two sides. UNGA
“India only wants to talk terror and we want a discussion on all issues including Kashmir,” Sartaj Aziz said in an exclusive phone interview from Islamabad, days ahead of prime ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif attending the key UN event this month.
“Our position is very clear. India called off the NSA-level dialogue last month and the request for any meeting must come from you. India has to take the initiative,” Aziz told the daily, putting the ball in India’s court for any future talks.
The scheduled NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan on August 24 talks were called off after Pakistan’s High Commissioner in India, Abdul Basit, invited Kashmiri separatists to a tea reception and the neighbouring country insisted on an agenda that included issues not just restricted to terror.
In August last year also, India had cancelled the Foreign Secretary-level talks after Basit met Kashmiri separatist leaders ahead of the talks. Aziz, meanwhile, insisted that Pakistani leaders will continue to meet Kashmiri separatists. Let me make it clear that we will continue to meet the Hurriyat. Even people in India are questioning the government on its rigid stand of us not meeting the separatists,” he said.
Bureau Report
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