On Monday, Pakistan invited India for Foreign Secretary-level talks on Kashmir but New Delhi remained firm on its stand —dialogue can be only on contemporary and relevant issues in Indo-Pak relations.
In Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said that Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale was called to hand over a letter of invitation for talks. However, hours later, Sartaz Aziz, Adviser to the Pakistan Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, poked a fresh pin by saying Modi’s reference to Balochistan in his Independence Day speech “only proves Pakistan’s contention that India through its main Intelligence agency RAW, has been fomenting terrorism in Balochistan.”
While terming Balochistan as an integral part of Pakistan, Aziz said the core issue of Kashmir needs a political solution, through serious negotiations between India and Pakistan.
“The Foreign Secretary called in the Indian High Commissioner and handed over a letter addressed to his Indian counterpart, inviting him to visit Pakistan
for talks on the Jammu & Kashmir dispute that has been the main bone of contention between India and Pakistan,” Zakaria said.
“The letter highlights the international obligation of both the countries to resolve the Jammu & Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions,” the statement said.
However, India snubbed Pak’s proposal saying that talks between India and Pakistan on J&K would focus only around “contemporary and relevant” issues in Indo-Pak relations and the points made will be specifically on cross-border terrorism supported by Pak security forces.
“India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations. At this time they include a stoppage of Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism, infiltration of terrorists like Bahadur Ali, incitement to violence and terrorism across the border, parading of internationally recognised terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, and sincere follow up on the Mumbai attacks trial and the Pathankot attack investigation in Pakistan,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup.
“India and others in the region have already received enough of Pakistan’s trademark exports - international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency,” he added.