NEW DELHI /AMN
India Wednesday rejected Pakistan’s proposal to hold Foreign Secretary-level talks on Kashmir asserting that it would like to discuss aspects related to cross-border terrorism which are central to the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Responding to Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry’s invitation, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar expressed his willingness to travel to Islamabad but maintained Pakistan has no locus standi in addressing any aspect of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, which is an internal matter of India.
Sources said India’s response was handed over to Pakistan by Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad Gautam Bambawale. India also rejected the self-serving allegations regarding the situation in J&K in their entirety.
On Monday, Pakistan had invited India for talks on Kashmir, saying it is the international obligation of both the countries to resolve the issue.
Last week, while reacting to a statement by Pakistan Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz regarding the invitation, India had made it clear that it would talk on contemporary and relevant issues in Indo-Pak relations and at this time it included stoppage of Pak-supported cross-border terrorism.