Amidst a raging row over Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit inviting Hurriyat leaders for its National Day function here, India once again conveyed to the neighbouring country there was no place for a third party in resolution of issues between the two countries. While Basit claimed India was not against the invite to separatists, the Modi Government was quick to disapprove of his remark.
After the tough talk during the day, the Government sent Minister of State for External Affairs Gen VK Singh to attend the celebrations in the evening. However, in a clear message to Pakistan, Singh stayed for just around ten minutes and went back without attending the dinner that Basit hosted for Indian dignitaries, political leaders, diplomats and the separatists.
Incidentally, Basit claimed India was not against his meeting with the separatists, whose similar flirtations with the Pak envoy here six months ago had prompted cancellation of secretary-level talks between the two nations. However, India hit out, saying “the Government of India prefers to speak for itself”.
“let me reiterate there are only two parties and there is no place for a third party in resolution of Indo-Pak issues. The only way forward to proceed on all outstanding issues is a peaceful bilateral dialogue within the framework of Simla Agreement... and lahore Declaration,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.
Akbaruddin was reacting to Basit’s statement that India was not against these interactions. “I don’t think Indian Government is objecting. I would rather request my media friends not to make an issue out of a non-issue,” Basit said on the sidelines of Pakistan National Day function.
Basit held meetings with Kashmiri separatist leaders Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Abdul Gani Bhat, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Bilal Gani lone, Aga Syed Hassan, Mussadiq Adil and Mukhtar Ahmad Waza at his residence on Sunday evening.
Few days back, he had met separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani to apprise him of talks between Foreign Secretary J Shankar with his Pakistani counterpart. However, India responded sharply to Basit’s statement. “The Government of India prefers to speak for itself. Having repeated it on so many occasions there should be no scope for misunderstanding or misrepresenting India’s position on the role of the so-called Hurriyat,” Akbaruddin said.
Talking to mediapersons, Basit said India and Pakistan can only resolve their differences through peaceful dialogue and not by using force. He added the agenda of the two Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan is common and Pakistan was all for resolving issues through peaceful dialogue. “Both of them want economic development. This is a golden opportunity for both the countries,” Basit said.
It is learnt that during his meeting with separatist leaders, the Pak envoy told them that Islamabad was hopeful that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Pakistan sometime soon and it wanted to move forward on all outstanding issues between the two countries before his visit.
In a brief address at the celebration, Basit said India and Pakistan should work together to resolve their problems and issues. “Our two countries need to work together to resolve our problems and issues and to address the challenges which our two countries are facing, which our region is facing. I assure you that Government and people of India will not find Pakistan wanting,” the Pakistan High Commissioner said.
Former Union Minister and Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, who attended the reception, pitched for “uninterrupted” talks with Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues. “I think it is foolish to break the talks on the pretext that the Pakistan High Commissioner met the Hurriyat leaders. There should be uninterrupted dialogue,” Aiyar said.
He said talks between the Pakistan High Commissioner and Hurriyat had started when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister and it continued during the UPA rule. Hurriyat leader Geelani said all the issues between the two countries should be resolved through talks.