Stalled peace process: India ready for talks with ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’
A day after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed frustration over the stalled peace process with India, his counterpart Narendra Modi said that Pakistan needed to show more ‘seriousness’ to resume dialogue.
“I want to hold bilateral talks to improve friendship and cooperation in all seriousness and in an atmosphere of peace, without a shadow of terrorism,” Modi, speaking in Hindi, told the United Nations General Assembly in his first address to the world body.
“But it is also the duty of Pakistan to come forward and create an appropriate atmosphere and with all seriousness come forward for a bilateral dialogue,” he said.
Last month, India announced it was withdrawing from the foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan after Pakistan’s high commissioner in New Delhi consulted Kashmiri separatists ahead of the meeting.
The foreign secretary-level talks were aimed at reviving a slow-paced composite dialogue process launched by the two countries in 2004. India pulled out of the process in 2008 following synchronised terrorist attacks on Mumbai’s landmarks, blaming ‘Pakistan-based militants’ for the assault. Premier Nawaz Sharif on Friday expressed dismay over India’s decision of withdrawing from the foreign secretary-level talks, calling it a missed opportunity to revive the normalisation process. “We were disappointed at the cancellation of the foreign secretary-level talks by India,” he told the 193 member countries of the General Assembly. “The world community, too, rightly saw it as another missed opportunity.”
The Pakistani leader travelled to New Delhi in May for the inauguration of Narendra Modi as the country’s prime minister. The visit raised hopes of progress in the six-decade-old Kashmir dispute, which has resulted in one of the world’s most heavily militarised borders. Those hopes, however, stalled when India pulled out of the foreign secretary-level talks.
Nawaz reminded the world that the Kashmir dispute could not be sidelined until it was resolved according to the wishes of Kashmiri people. “We cannot draw a veil over the issue of Kashmir until it is addressed in accordance with the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
On Saturday, the Indian premier appeared to chastise his Pakistani counterpart for highlighting the longstanding Kashmir dispute in his own UN speech.
“By raising this, I don’t know how serious our effort will be, and some people are doubtful,” Modi said. “Instead, today we should be thinking about the victims of floods on Jammu and Kashmir,” he added, using the full name of the Indian state.
The Indian leader reiterated his offer to assist flood victims in Azad Kashmir – an offer unlikely to be accepted by Islamabad amid criticism by some Kashmiris over the pace of the Indian response.
Torrential rains and subsequent floods ravaged both halves of the dispute Himalayan state, killing hundreds, displacing hundreds of thousands and causing colossal damages to infrastructure and standing crops. The Indian premier wrote to his Pakistani counterpart, offering help to deal with the calamity. Premier Nawaz returned the offer and called for cooperation between the two arch-rivals in disaster management.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2014.
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@Alladitta: " if India wants to talk with ifs and buts, let’s send gully butt." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Isnt that impolite referring to Mr Sartaz Aziz as Gull Butt....
I guess we should stop paying attention on having dialogues with Such neighbor and focus on other issues in Pakistan which are more important. Hope Pakistan Government will pay attention towards it. I seriously fade up seeing this Indo Pak Blah Blah. come ON Pakistan Government we have more important things to do not all this nonsense talk
@Patriot: Do you think the 19000 people in Madison square garden are also paid by Indian government or the tens of thousands in Times square listening to Modi's speech? No. Indians comment on India related issues in Pakistani newspapers to address half baked facts that are otherwise reported there.
@ Patriot : Sorry. ur observation amounts to the crying limitations of brains in Pak.Reading / commenting r democratic rights & the news paper if publishes comments from Indian readers, is also excercising its right of free speech. To change & progress ur nation u need to change yourself irrespective of what trash about India is there in your nations basic history books.
@Patriot: " I wonder is these gang of cyber bullies are hired by the Indian government to troll Pakistani newspapers comments section en-masse?" I assure you, this cyber bully has not been hired by the Indian government. The only reason he trolls the Pakistani newspapers comments section is to contribute his little mite to prevent Pakistan from misadventures against his beloved country to the extent it is possible by countering conspiracy theories Pakistanis are addicted to. Even so, ET moderators frustrate his efforts in majority of the cases. I have no doubt it is what motivates most other Indian "cyber-bullying" trolls.
@Patriot: But we love you guys! I know it is very tough to hear a different perspective. Get used to it in today's connected world.
Et u r doing disservice to pakistan by not letting pakistanis know the complete speech of PM Modi
It seems most of Indian people have nothing better to do than reading Pakistani papers -- wherever you go (DAWN, The News) same Indian people (e.g. Neo) are there -- I wonder is these gang of cyber bullies are hired by the Indian government to troll Pakistani newspapers comments section en-masse?
Since your nation is so great, why don't you stick to reading your own newspapers and giving your obnoxious comments there.
Modi's speech was one by a statesman who spoke about global problems facing the whole world unlike Nawaz Sharif who was India centric as his speech appears to have been drafted in Rawalpindi. ET unfortunately, has highlighted only Kashmir and talks but left out the major portion of the address which was not only acclaimed by the Americans but many other countries as well. Modi has simply asked Pakistan to remove the shadow of terror, for talks to take place in a peaceful environment. Has Modi asked for too much which Pakistanis need to contemplate as peace is most important for both countries and for achieving the same. In this context, Pakistan must abandon its decades old state policy of using terror which has only brought endless misery to the country besides spoiling relations with all its neighbours,
Modi also called upon the world to hold a comprehensive convention on international terrorism and shun countries which shelter terrorist organisations, differentiating between good terrorists and bad terrorists; which raises questions about their intentions and motives. The fact is that India and Pakistan launched composite dialogue process in 2004. Nothing fruitful has emerged due to eruptions of turmoil and violence. We are all aware of the happenings. As such I am sure we will agree that an appropriate atmosphere, free from shadows of terror, is imperative to come forward with all seriousness for a fruitful bilateral dialogue.
Pak can't giveup her rant even at the cost of lagging behind in development. In this paper I read about the acute electricity problems these days with no end in near future.When leaders fail their nation they always do acts of attention diversion .It is sheer bad luck of Pakistan since its creation in 1947, that all its leaders ,military/ civil, covered their failures with rants for K & succeeded making Pak a fertile ground of terrorism.
" “By raising this, I don’t know how serious our effort will be, and some people are doubtful,” " ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ET Opportunity to conduct a reader opinion poll.
" On Saturday, the Indian premier appeared to chastise his Pakistani counterpart for highlighting the longstanding Kashmir dispute in his own UN speech." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ My only objection to that is the word ' appeared to'.
Negotiating with Pakistan ++++++++++++++++++ Is like searching for a black cat in the dark room , existence of which one is not sure of.
" Last month, India announced it was withdrawing from the foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan after Pakistan’s high commissioner in New Delhi consulted Kashmiri separatists ahead of the meeting." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The meeting was in defiance of Indian warning that there would be serious consequences of such a meeting. So Pakistani High Commissioner's acts were not as innocent as described above.And somewhere the Paki PM said at the UN that we should be sensitive to each others sensibilities..........hmmmm.
" Stalled peace process: India ready for talks with ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’" ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ “But it is also the duty of Pakistan to come forward and create an appropriate atmosphere and with all seriousness come forward for a bilateral dialogue,” he said. Only Pakistan can interpret such exacting and precise demands to 'ifs and buts'. Leads me to believe that the chances of Pakistan successfully meeting those are about the same as those of Pakistan eradicating Polio this decade.
Sartaz Aziz admitted the mistake committed by calling Kashmiri separatists at the time of Indo-Pak dialogue after clear massage of Narendra Modi from UNGA.
IF is Pakistan has to Shut the terrorist camps But is Pakistan army does not want to shut the terrorism camps
@Agencies: ...Modi, speaking in Hindi, told the United Nations General Assembly in his first address to the world body...."
Modi wore a smart looking Achkan and spoke in Hindi.
Nawaz Sharif on the other hand wore a poorly sitting jacket and spoke in poor English.
if India wants to talk with ifs and buts, let's send gully butt.