AMN
Home Minister Rajnath Singh Sunday hit out at Pakistan a day after it called off the NSA-level talks. Rajnath Singh questioned if Pakistan was so keen on raising the Kashmir issue, why didn’t it do so during talks at Ufa in Russia.
Talking to media on the sidelines of a function in Lucknow, Mr Singh accused Pakistan of deviating from the agenda agreed to between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif at Ufa.
The Home Minister also made it clear that the possibility of any future dialogue will depend on Pakistan. Describing the cancellation of talks as unfortunate, he however, underlined that India stands for dialogue and cordial relationship with Pakistan.
Meanwhile, political parties in Jammu and Kashmir expressed disappointment over cancellation of NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan.
Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed hoped that the break in talks would be temporary. Speaking in Srinagar, Sayeed also expressed the hope that India and Pakistan will re-engage soon in a meaningful dialogue and steps taken by New Delhi to remove impediments in normalization of relations will be reciprocated by Islamabad.
Former Chief Minister and National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah termed the cancellation of talks as unfortunate. He blamed separatist leaders for the breakdown. He said separatists, the self-claimed champions of Kashmiris should have shown some courage and backed off themselves from jumping into the Pakistan Embassy’s trap of consultations with them ahead of the NSA level talks.
Farooq Abdullah’s son and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while expressing disappointment, said he expected this to happen going by last year’s experience when India cancelled Foreign Secretary-level talks over Hurriyat issue.
CPM leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami said the development was a huge disappointment for all those who want the peace process to be strengthened. He said the cancellation of talks has only helped the fundamentalist and extremists on both sides.