Islamabad’s rejoinder: Aziz hits back at Modi for parroting old narrative

India making excuses to avoid meaningful dialogue, says PM’s adviser

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday hit back at a statement of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he said it was hard to decide who to speak to about peace in Islamabad implying that the civil and military leadership was not on the same page vis-à-vis relationship with New Delhi.

“This old narrative is not a very good excuse to avoid meaningful engagement,” said Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz while talking exclusively to The Express Tribune.



In an interview with an Indian TV channel, Modi while responding to a question about peace prospects between Pakistan and India asked: “The first thing is that with whom in Pakistan you will decide redlines – with the elected government or with other actors?”

Modi also blamed Pakistan for the current hiccup in bilateral dialogue insisting the international community had realised that India was not reluctant to engage with Pakistan. “Our approach has created difficulties for Pakistan, and they find it hard to respond on the matter in the international community,” the Indian leader added in his first interview with any private TV channel since he assumed office in May 2014.



However, Aziz said it was India, not Pakistan, which was shying away from structured dialogue.

Asked to comment on Modi’s statement about the confusion regarding who to talk to in Pakistan, Aziz said it was nothing but an excuse to avoid resumption of structured dialogue on all issues, including longstanding Kashmir dispute. He said Pakistan and India had a framework under which different subjects were dealt with at various forums.



He pointed out that Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek were issues where the government would always get input from the military. “Same goes in India,” Aziz said recalling that it was the Indian military which vetoed a deal on Siachen in 1989. He said Pakistan was ready for dialogue at any time but added that “we are not desperate.”

Pakistan and India agreed to resume bilateral dialogue in December last year at the sidelines of the heart of Asia-Istanbul process. However, two weeks later gunmen stormed the Pathankot airbase near the border with Pakistan killing at least six Indian servicemen.

The attack led to the cancellation of a key meeting between the foreign secretaries in the middle of January in Islamabad after Indian authorities accused Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad group for being behind the Pathankot incident.

Since then India is reluctant to commit to a timeframe for the resumption of the peace process. India’s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said last week that the peace process was not suspended rather New Delhi was awaiting the completion of probe into the Pathankot incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2016.