No talks with India without Kashmir on agenda: Aziz
The adviser says he will not propose NSA meeting with his counterpart at UN General Assembly session in New York
Sartaj Aziz addresses a press conference in Islamabad. PHOTO: AFP
The prime minister’s adviser of national security and foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz once again clarified on Monday that there could be no talks with India without Kashmir on the agenda.
Days after the scheduled NSA-level talks between the two countries collapsed, Aziz categorically rejected the perception that Pakistan’s armed forces were not willing to open dialogue between the two arch-rivals.
“There is no difference between the Pakistan Army and the political leadership. As far as Kashmir is concerned not only the political leadership, the whole nation is united that we cannot talk to India without Kashmir,” said Aziz while exclusively talking to CNN-IBN.
The meeting was agreed upon by the prime ministers of the two countries in their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the Russian city of Ufa last month.
Read: At 11th hour, NSA talks called off
When asked if he would propose a meeting between NSA advisers of the two countries at the UN General Assembly session in New York, he said, “We are not going to propose that, but if India proposes then we'll see.”
Aziz said he will exchange the dossiers of Indian spy agency RAW’s involvement with Pakistan, even if he doesn’t get a chance for a meeting with Ajit Dowal, the Indian national security adviser.
Despite the talks being called off, the NSA adviser said the meeting between the DGMOs and the DG BSF and Pakistan Rangers will go ahead.
“The BSF meeting is confirmed for September 6, and they have already had a preliminary meeting to discuss the agenda,” he said. “DGMO talks happen every week anyway and they can agree among themselves whenever they want to meet.”
Read: Blaming Pakistan for Gurdaspur attack 'unfortunate', says FO
No evidence shared with Pakistan
Meanwhile, Aziz denied Pakistan had been provided any evidence on the presence of Dawood Ibrahim in the country, or the country’s involvement in Gurdaspur attacks.
“What co-operation? I mean they, let them provide. On Gurdaspur nothing has been provided. If they provide - we will take action,” he said. “India is always using the media to target and point fingers at Pakistan without providing anything. In my two years, I have not seen any evidence being provided on these two issues.”
Last month, gunmen dressed in military fatigues killed at least 10 people, including three civilians, in India’s Punjab state before being shot dead in a 12-hour-long gunfight with security forces in a small-town police station near the border with Pakistan.
Days after the scheduled NSA-level talks between the two countries collapsed, Aziz categorically rejected the perception that Pakistan’s armed forces were not willing to open dialogue between the two arch-rivals.
“There is no difference between the Pakistan Army and the political leadership. As far as Kashmir is concerned not only the political leadership, the whole nation is united that we cannot talk to India without Kashmir,” said Aziz while exclusively talking to CNN-IBN.
The meeting was agreed upon by the prime ministers of the two countries in their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the Russian city of Ufa last month.
Read: At 11th hour, NSA talks called off
When asked if he would propose a meeting between NSA advisers of the two countries at the UN General Assembly session in New York, he said, “We are not going to propose that, but if India proposes then we'll see.”
Aziz said he will exchange the dossiers of Indian spy agency RAW’s involvement with Pakistan, even if he doesn’t get a chance for a meeting with Ajit Dowal, the Indian national security adviser.
Despite the talks being called off, the NSA adviser said the meeting between the DGMOs and the DG BSF and Pakistan Rangers will go ahead.
“The BSF meeting is confirmed for September 6, and they have already had a preliminary meeting to discuss the agenda,” he said. “DGMO talks happen every week anyway and they can agree among themselves whenever they want to meet.”
Read: Blaming Pakistan for Gurdaspur attack 'unfortunate', says FO
No evidence shared with Pakistan
Meanwhile, Aziz denied Pakistan had been provided any evidence on the presence of Dawood Ibrahim in the country, or the country’s involvement in Gurdaspur attacks.
“What co-operation? I mean they, let them provide. On Gurdaspur nothing has been provided. If they provide - we will take action,” he said. “India is always using the media to target and point fingers at Pakistan without providing anything. In my two years, I have not seen any evidence being provided on these two issues.”
Last month, gunmen dressed in military fatigues killed at least 10 people, including three civilians, in India’s Punjab state before being shot dead in a 12-hour-long gunfight with security forces in a small-town police station near the border with Pakistan.