National Security Advisors of Pakistan and India were supposed to meet for talks on august 23, 24 but talks fell into trouble after both countries reached a deadlock over Pakistan’s insistence to ignore India’s strange and unwarranted advice against holding a meeting with Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders in New Delhi on August 23. In the past New Delhi had allowed Pakistani officials visiting India to meet APHC leaders, but Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has taken a rigid stance on it. In August last year, New Delhi had cancelled scheduled foreign secretary level talks in protest after Pakistan’s high commissioner held ‘consultations’ with Kashmiri leaders.
Indian stubbornness is visible but Indian Home Minister Rajnath held Islamabad responsible for deviating from Ufa agenda but Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif responded well and accused New Delhi of sabotaging the talks due to Indian fanatic approach.
Pakistan is also concerned about the complete disregard of even basic human rights by India which reflected in the arrests of Hurriyat leaders. It is tragic that India has cancelled the talks on baseless grounds. By using such tactics India wants to push back Kashmir issue on the agenda talks. But India must not forget that relations with Pakistan cannot improve until it is accepted that the Kashmir issue will be central to the dialogue process. Kashmiri leadership can not be sidelined when talking on the Kashmir issue; they are definitely a party to the issue.
The Kashmiris have every right to be part of the dialogue process. It is unimaginable that the Kashmir issue can be settled without having their leadership on board. Delaying tactics to run away from the table talks show India’s unwillingness to resolve the long standing issue of Kashmir. On the one side India keeps violating ceasefire on line of control and on the other keeps shedding crocodile tears by imposing baseless accusations on Pakistan for sponsoring terror.
Stubbornness of India became the ultimate reason of cancellation of NSA’s talks and put deadlock in solving the bilateral issues.
