Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Tariq Fatemi, on Wednesday said Pakistan would not initiate contact with India for talks, adding that if India wants to enter a dialogue with Pakistan, they would have to take the initiative themselves, BBC Urdu reported.
“It was because of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that the talks were heading in the right direction. It was India who decided to put a halt to them. Now it is up to them; if they want negotiations, they will have to take the initiative themselves. We have no contact with India,” Fatemi said in an exclusive interview with BBC Urdu.
Further, Fatemi said cross-border tension between the two neighbours arose because of state elections in India.
"It now appears that the Bharatiya Janata Party's is using the anti-Pakistan agenda to support its candidacy. This is very unfortunate,” he said.
Addressing the Kashmir issue, Fatemi said, “Kashmir is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy. It always has been and always will be.”
However, he stated that former president Pervez Musharraf had sought a change in the Kashmir policy, which he clarified that the government does not recognise.
“Musharraf went to Kashmir without consulting his corps commanders. We will choose a policy that complies with the Pakistani public’s wishes. Whatever Musharraf wanted for Kashmir, it’s in the past,” Fatemi said.
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@Bahadur: Take a trip to Kashmir and see the conditions yourself and ask the locals as well. All the talk of killings or rapes are non-existent and people are leading a normal life. I don't know whether you are comparing what your military did in Bangladesh with the Indian army which is quite unfair as the latter are strictly instructed to protect human rights otherwise they face court-martials and given exemplary punishment. Agree with your views that Kashmir problem should be solved but the rigid stands taken by both countries may not help solving this complex issue unless both come down to reach an amicable accord.
Thank you! No need to talk right now!
@Gp65: " That really made me laugh" +++++++++++++++++++++++ FYI I post only in dead earnest and seriousness. Pakistan is no laughing matter!
@All Readers: for an instance we say, yes it's a good move.talks were mere showcasing and fruitless, in which India kept asking for Azad Kashmir back and Pakistan for Indian held Kashmir.
My question to all readers, I want to know in your view HOW CAN WE SOLVE KASHMIR ISSUE? What are the solutions or options available to solve Kashmir issue?
If anyone says this is not an issue, they are living in fools world and desperately need to check history of Kashmir.
Thank you Pakistan for taking such a discreet and wise step not to talk which will be welcomed by India. India has already declared whole of Kashmir as an integral part and it also does not recognise UN resolution which it says has become obsolete after Shimla agreement. Pakistan is also very firm not to part with an inch of land in occupied Kashmir and wants UN resolution to be implemented makes any talks between the two countries irrelevant as unfruitful. There are some issues like Siachen and others on which both countries have taken very rigid stand in the past too cannot be solved through dialogue. Talking for the sake of talks is an un-meaningful exercise which needs to be discarded and let status quo be maintained
@Bahadur: Let it be so and lets get down to seriously solving our problems rather than cheap showcasing. The decision is very good and pray that USA, UK, and Europe do not pressurize the pmln government. Thanx
@unbelievable: Musharraf took the PM et al on board and then started the game. Don't fall to misrepresentations anymore, please. Thanx.
Who cares whether our Indian Government talks to Pakistan or not...
This will come as a great relief to India.
Pls the same treatment to UN +++++++++++++++++ Llet UN call Pakistan rather the other way round.
We in India are always of the opinion that there are no outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, so whats the need of talk.At last Pakistan has taken right stand.there should be no talks for the shake of talks
I don't think India will gain anything from talks with Pakistan.So why should india initiate talks.India being stronger by hard power and even stronger by soft power don't have any reason to allow Pakistan to dictate terms for talks or even hold talks at all. Its a dream that is never going to happen in real world. India will be stronger than it is now in the coming years.what makes Pakistan think that it can negotiate with India???
“Musharraf went to Kashmir without consulting his corps commanders."
Fatemi doesn't seem to care that Musharraf didn't consult the PM before he decided to go to war .... you would think a member of the govt would think that was a big deal.
If indeed that is the stand Pakistan is going to take regarding dialogue with India ... it is a very good development ... at least the hypocrisy of dialogue and wastage of valuable diplomatic time and resources will not happen ...!! ... now it will boil down to who has the less urgency and more staying power ... !!
What if india never initiate talk....
where do we stand? what options we have? what we will do or can do?
shall we just keep waiting for rest of our lives as we have waited so far... shall we just keep seeing our Muslim brothers dying, women being raped, children becoming orphans and etc.
I don't agree with the strategy of remaining quiet. We should start working on finding a way out....
Listen... the more we wait, the more it gets convulated.
Couldn't agree more. I don't think Pakistan has a similar agenda of generating such publicity as we have so many more problems to deal with it.
Finally a good decision by the present government.
Well said.
"" if India wants to enter a dialogue with Pakistan, they would have to take the initiative themselves "" well done ..... thats the way to deal with India.