Diplomatic efforts: Islamabad sees move as ‘a setback’
Pakistan on Monday termed India’s move to call off foreign secretary-level meeting as a ‘setback’ to its efforts seeking ‘good neighbourly’ relations.
Islamabad’s reaction came hours after New Delhi pulled out of the next week’s crucial talks between the two foreign secretaries in protest over Pakistan high commissioner’s meeting with Kashmiri leaders.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Tasnim Aslam confirmed the cancellation of talks, which were scheduled to take place next week in Islamabad.
“Our high commissioner in India has been informed by the ministry of external affairs that the government of India, taking exception to the high commissioner’s meetings with Kashmiri leaders, has decided to call off the foreign secretary-level talks scheduled for August 25 in Islamabad,” Aslam said.
But she rejected the reasons that India cited for cancellation of talks. “It is a longstanding practice that, prior to Pakistan-India talks, meetings with Kashmiri leaders are held to facilitate meaningful discussions on the issue of Kashmir.”
“The prime minister has clearly articulated the vision of peace for development. It was in this spirit that he accepted the invitation of the Indian premier to attend his inaugural,” she maintained.
She said the meeting between the two foreign secretaries was scheduled at the directives of the two prime ministers. Diplomatic sources told The Express Tribune that political uncertainly in Pakistan might also be one of the reasons that prompted India to cancel scheduled talks for the time being.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 19th, 2014.
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@Syed Jalal Kashmiri: Your comment "Forced, rigged, and manipulated elections under the corruption of the Indian army are invalid." Openly reveals that you are not a Kashmiri as this comment reveals the true experience of a Pakistani. that is why Imran Khan and Dr Quadri are crying. The world knows including the opposition parties that how fair are the elections in India.
Forced, rigged, and manipulated elections under the corruption of the Indian army are invalid. We Kashmiris only want one vote, allow us a UN plebiscite to choose between Pakistan or India, as per UN resolutions. That is the only vote we want.
Kashmiris are not Indians, neither you nor our people consider ourselves such. Lack of respect and abuse of Kashmiris proves this point. Pakistan is a better home for this Kashmiri nation and homeland. They respect our humanity, rights, lives, women, children, elders, and religion, unlike Indian occupiers.
The idea is to make Pakistan lash out in response to cancellation of the talks. Then comes the end of Article 370. End of the "Kashmir Issue".
How can pakistan called these separatist as the leader of kashmir. Only the elected members from the kashmir are the leaders of kashmir. I am sure if they will cast their election not even a singal kashmiri vote them..
It is not the first time India has suddenly changed its policies and Pakistan should now let India cool its heels and approach Pakistan for a resumption of talks.
Iqbal
Total bankruptcy of competence shown by Pak Foreign ministry. In what way talks with these spent forces of kashmir has helped Pak to further its national aim. Does Pak want to talk with India or these terrorist supporters? Pak has violated the provision of Shimla agreement that Kashmir dispute would be resolved bilaterally. India is sanguin because India has the Valley, water, electricity, tourists. In future the so called azad kashmiris would prefer to opt to come under India, seeing the development of J&K.
Thank you Pakistan for taking the Kashmiri people into confidence. Your good will won't be lost on us. Long live Kashmir, Long live Pakistan, we are one.
Pakistan Foreign Office should be glad that their ambassador wasn't declared persona non grata by India.
" “It is a longstanding practice that, prior to Pakistan-India talks, meetings with Kashmiri leaders are held to facilitate meaningful discussions on the issue of Kashmir.”" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ So will Pakistan persist in its long term practice?:)
ET please allow response to someone wo has written to me.
@amoghavarsha.ii: Vajpayee signed the Lahore declaration. Did it yield peace dividend? No. He was rewarded with Kargill.
He overlooked what Musharraf had done and inited him to Agra in 2001. Did that yield a peace dividend? No. 3 months later Indian parliament was attacked by Pakistani non-state actors who would really be non-actors without state support.
Finally he amassed an army at the border for 10 months and compelled Musharraf to sign a ceasefire agreement which yielded a peace dividend.
Sometimes talks do not yield peace when the other side lacks sincerity.
Separately, consulting them on the net does not send the same negative signals to the world as allowing separatists to meet a foreign government in your own capital. It also shows that while Simla agreement says that resolution of Kashmir should bebilateral, you yourself do not believe it and agree to let it be trilateral. There too, you agree that separatists and not elected representatives of the state are true representatives of people of Jammu and Kashmir.
What should Pakistan do now? ++++++++++++++++++++ Appeal to UN that India has cancelled talk due to Pakistans breach of etiquette in holding meetings with Kashmiri separatists.The meagre support that Pakistan has will be thoroughly exposed.
Pakistan has its own experience with US Drones... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ and therefore a different definition of sovereignty very different from the Indian definition. India meanwhile is resembling more and more Israel in terms of its responses...watch out Pakistan.
The spokes person rightly says " a ‘setback’ to its efforts seeking ‘good neighbourly’ relations." But the point is that do the Forces within Pakistan who actually run the policy agree with the spokes person of Pakistan. May be they see it as victory of long term policy remember last time when Bajpai was being received by Mr Nawaz Sharif, Gen Musharraf was sleeping in a tent in Kargil. Gp65 has expressed "Unfortunately, civilians do not run Pakistan’s foreign policy, their army does. The army leadership believes that keeping the pot boiling with India will ensure a disproportionate amount of budget allocated to the army."
What is this logic of "long standing practice"? Its time to change. If Pakistan wishes to be caught in time wrap, does not mean that India has to follow suit.
In the one to one meeting with MNS, Modi had made his stand clear that India does not appreciate his meeting with Kashmiri separatists and he refrained from doing so. Secretary level talks were fixed in such atmosphere. Three months later, his envoy takes a U turn and does what his boss refrained from doing. Apparently, the directive comes from the establishment, who have cornered MNS through IK and TUQ in domestic tussle of power. Having talks at this point will have no meaning until Pakistan stops it's double gaming.
@GP65, you are unbelievable, would ABVajpayee done the same? Do u know what all he did to move forward, anyway it is nice to walk the talk, not to meet them when you were already in that position when you were in opposition. modi wanted to show he was strong when in opposition, he showed the same now, what he does not know is it is not necessary to meet kashmiris physically to consult, you can always chat on net????
@unbelievable They have been encouraged in such brash moves by India's former government which tolerated such behavior after making routine noises. Hina Rabbani Khar and Sartaj Aziz had met Hurriyat during their formal state visit to India. The mindset of UPA has been that ignoring provocations and continuing peace talks will someow benefit India by yielding a peace dividend. in doing so they ignore history which disproves such a notion.
Unfortunately, civilians do not run Pakistan's foreign policy, their army does. The army leadership believes that keeping the pot boiling with India will ensure a disproportionate amount of budget allocated to the army. It does not care for the ordinary Pakistani's welfare and is focused purely on what is good for Pakistan army. It is only when Pakistan army realizes that poking India in the eye hurts Pakistan's economy and consequently the budget available for the army, that situation will change and there will be an opportunity for peace talks to actually yield a peace dividend.
It is probably a tacit understanding between the two sides that events in Pakistan have made the present timetable unsuitable as any talks would require give and take.
It may have been our practice to meet Hurriyat leaders in the past. But when India told us not to meet otherwise they will cancel the secretaries meeting and then we go ahead ? Who is to blame. Surely not India.
So finally NS gave up. With "establishment" causing so many issues at home front, he decided to toe the line set up by "establishment" on Kashmir. Now, everything will be back to hunky dory. There will be peace deal with TUQ and IK and NS will get a breathing space.Good show.
A move desired by Indian public since years.
What bright guy in the diplomatic corp thought meeting with Kashmir separatist in your Indian Embassy was a good idea? Time to hire some professionals?
Doesn't the Pakistan foreign office have any expertise of its own that it needs an irrelevant motley bunch to guide it's ambassador? On second thoughts, hearing the views of former Pakistani foreign secretaries and ambassador, it's not surprising that they go for such foolish actions.
" Diplomatic sources told The Express Tribune that political uncertainly in Pakistan might also be one of the reasons that prompted India to cancel scheduled talks for the time being." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Talks are not cancelled for the time being...they are just cancelled.Period. Typical Paki attempt to apply balm at its smouldering cheek.
Blame yourself for all this.