Ready to visit New Delhi without any preconditions: Aziz
Says India imposed precondition that Pakistan could not meet Hurriyat leaders; urges Modi to initiate serious dialogue
Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz addresses a press conference at the Foreign Office in Islamabad on August 22, 2015. PHOTO: PID
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister’s senior aide Sartaj Aziz has dismissed India’s claim that Pakistan was trying to ‘distort’ the agenda agreed upon for the national security adviser-level talks as "nothing farther from the truth", while announcing that he was ready to go to India for talks without any preconditions.
“The statement of Indian external ministry that Pakistan has imposed new conditions totally ignores the last sentence in the note handed over to the Indian High Commission that Pakistan is ready to hold NSA-level talks without any preconditions,” he said, while addressing a press conference at the Foreign Office in Islamabad on Saturday.
“In fact, it was India that imposed new conditions that Pakistan could not meet Hurriyat leaders, assuming the right to determine the guest list for the high commissioner reception," the adviser to the prime minister on national security and foreign affairs added.
Read: India-Pakistan talks sink into jeopardy
He said the three-point agenda proposed by Pakistan was fully in the line with the Ufa statement, i.e. discussion on all issues related to terrorism, reviewing progress on actual decisions made in Ufa such as restoring peace across the LoC and exploring modalities to discuss all outstanding issues between the two countries, including Kashmir, Sir Creek and Siachen.
“India seems reluctant to recognise the significance of the most important sentence in the Ufa statement: ‘Indian and Pakistan have a collective responsibility to ensure peace and promote development’. And to do so they are prepared to discuss all outstanding issues.”
Everyone knows the most important outstanding issue between the two countries is the future of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the UN resolutions, added Aziz.
"The word ‘K’ is very much present in this sentence..."
He said it was surprising that with all its expertise, India had not recognised that not only the political leadership but the entire nation was fully committed to provide political, moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris struggling for their right to self-determination.
He rejected the perception being given in the Indian media that Pakistan was apprehensive of the dossiers Indian NSA Ajit Doval was preparing for presentation during the talks, and was looking for an exit.
“I will also be carrying three dossiers on RAW’s involvement in promoting terrorism in Pakistan,” he said while showing the documents.
The adviser added that he would hand over the dossiers to Dowal in New York if he does not get a chance to meet him in New Delhi before sharing them with the UN secretary-general.
Read: India-Pakistan talks — need for maturity
He hoped and urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ponder how a dialogue between the two countries could be initiated.
Earlier, the much-awaited meeting between the NSAs of Pakistan and India seemed to be all but called off after both sides refused to budge from their stances on the agenda of the talks and Islamabad’s invitation to Hurriyat leaders for a meeting with Aziz.
Although there was no clear official announcement regarding the cancellation of the talks from either side, a late night statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Friday suggested the meeting is unlikely to take place.
On Friday morning, the spokesman of India’s external affairs ministry announced on Twitter that New Delhi had advised Islamabad against meeting the Kashmiri leaders before or after the NSA talks.
“Such a meeting would not be in keeping with the spirit and intent of the Ufa understanding to jointly work to combat terrorism,” Vikas Swarup posted on the micro-blogging website.
Hours later, in reply to the Indian advisory, Pakistan dismissed the suggestion and made it clear that Aziz would indeed meet Hurriyat leaders “in keeping with the ‘practice and tradition of past many years.”
Prime Minister’s senior aide Sartaj Aziz has dismissed India’s claim that Pakistan was trying to ‘distort’ the agenda agreed upon for the national security adviser-level talks as "nothing farther from the truth", while announcing that he was ready to go to India for talks without any preconditions.
“The statement of Indian external ministry that Pakistan has imposed new conditions totally ignores the last sentence in the note handed over to the Indian High Commission that Pakistan is ready to hold NSA-level talks without any preconditions,” he said, while addressing a press conference at the Foreign Office in Islamabad on Saturday.
“In fact, it was India that imposed new conditions that Pakistan could not meet Hurriyat leaders, assuming the right to determine the guest list for the high commissioner reception," the adviser to the prime minister on national security and foreign affairs added.
Read: India-Pakistan talks sink into jeopardy
He said the three-point agenda proposed by Pakistan was fully in the line with the Ufa statement, i.e. discussion on all issues related to terrorism, reviewing progress on actual decisions made in Ufa such as restoring peace across the LoC and exploring modalities to discuss all outstanding issues between the two countries, including Kashmir, Sir Creek and Siachen.
“India seems reluctant to recognise the significance of the most important sentence in the Ufa statement: ‘Indian and Pakistan have a collective responsibility to ensure peace and promote development’. And to do so they are prepared to discuss all outstanding issues.”
Everyone knows the most important outstanding issue between the two countries is the future of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the UN resolutions, added Aziz.
"The word ‘K’ is very much present in this sentence..."
He said it was surprising that with all its expertise, India had not recognised that not only the political leadership but the entire nation was fully committed to provide political, moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris struggling for their right to self-determination.
He rejected the perception being given in the Indian media that Pakistan was apprehensive of the dossiers Indian NSA Ajit Doval was preparing for presentation during the talks, and was looking for an exit.
“I will also be carrying three dossiers on RAW’s involvement in promoting terrorism in Pakistan,” he said while showing the documents.
The adviser added that he would hand over the dossiers to Dowal in New York if he does not get a chance to meet him in New Delhi before sharing them with the UN secretary-general.
Read: India-Pakistan talks — need for maturity
He hoped and urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ponder how a dialogue between the two countries could be initiated.
Earlier, the much-awaited meeting between the NSAs of Pakistan and India seemed to be all but called off after both sides refused to budge from their stances on the agenda of the talks and Islamabad’s invitation to Hurriyat leaders for a meeting with Aziz.
Although there was no clear official announcement regarding the cancellation of the talks from either side, a late night statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Friday suggested the meeting is unlikely to take place.
On Friday morning, the spokesman of India’s external affairs ministry announced on Twitter that New Delhi had advised Islamabad against meeting the Kashmiri leaders before or after the NSA talks.
“Such a meeting would not be in keeping with the spirit and intent of the Ufa understanding to jointly work to combat terrorism,” Vikas Swarup posted on the micro-blogging website.
Hours later, in reply to the Indian advisory, Pakistan dismissed the suggestion and made it clear that Aziz would indeed meet Hurriyat leaders “in keeping with the ‘practice and tradition of past many years.”