Stalled peace process: India ready for talks with ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’
Modi says Pakistan needs to show ‘seriousness’ to resume dialogue
UNITED NATIONS:
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.
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.