NSA meeting: Responsibility for scuttling talks rests with India, says Rashid

Says Pakistan is still ready for dialogue on all core issues, including Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid on Saturday said Pakistan was ready for talks with India on all core issues, including the Kashmir dispute.

“However, if India wants to avoid talks on different pretexts or by raising non-issues, then the responsibility [for that] rests with them,” he said in response to the terms laid out by India’s external affairs minister for the meeting between the two countries’ security advisers.

He said Pakistan had been steadfast about its stance from day one and accused India of changing its position ‘by the hour’. Agreeing that the talks should have discussed terrorism-related issues, Rashid insisted that Kashmir should be on the agenda as well since it was a major issue between Pakistan and India.

“It is necessary to discuss and resolve issues which are the root causes of terrorism in the region,” the minister said. He added that if India had the right to raise issues pertaining to its interests, then so did Pakistan.



In response to a query, Rashid said that according to the statement agreed upon by the prime ministers of Pakistan and India in Ufa, Russia, the two countries had resolved to discuss all outstanding issues. “This means Siachen, Sir Creek, water disputes and obviously Kashmir.”

Regarding the NA 122 election tribunal verdict, Rashid said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz respected it. He said PML-N workers had remained peaceful and called upon Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders to ensure their supporters do the same. He added that PML-N would now exercise its legal rights. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2015.