Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Destroying the goodwill” (August 22). It is indeed Pakistan which creates critical circumstances on the eve of bilateral dialogues at any level.
It was unambiguously decided in the Simla Agreement that only bilateral discussion between the two countries can resolve outstanding problems including Kashmir, and that no other so-called stakeholder has a role. The meeting of Pakistan’s High Commissioner Abdul Basit with the Kashmir separatists was not desirable.
No sensitive Government of a sovereign country can tolerate unauthorised meetings of rebellious elements of India with a foreign envoy despite prior warning. Pakistan must not take for granted that, like the earlier lame duck and pusillanimous UPA Government, the present dispensation will also endorse such unfair and illegitimate meeting of Kashmir separatists with its envoy.
The decision taken by the Narendra Modi Government to call off the impending meeting of Foreign Secretaries is an appropriate and appreciable step. Now, the Government should impose a ban on the visits to Pakistan of these separatists.