New Delhi: Accusing Pakistan of deviating from the agenda agreed in Ufa between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif, Union home minister Rajnath Singh made it clear the possibility of any future dialogue will depend on Islamabad’s actions.
On Pakistan’s claim that Kashmir was the main agenda, the home minister said: “Why didn’t Pakistan raise the Kashmir issue in Ufa when the two Prime Ministers met last month? Why was it not decided earlier that it would be part of the NSA-level talks? It was never an issue on the agenda.”
The minister added, “The cancellation of NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan is unfortunate. India is in favour of dialogue.”
Pakistan had late on Saturday night called off the talks in New Delhi between national security adviser Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz, hours after India made it clear discussions on Kashmir at the NSA-level talks and a meeting with separatists will not be acceptable to it.
Asked about Pakistan blaming India for the cancellation of talks, the home minister shot back: “It is Pakistan which cancelled the talks and not India... Pakistan should not have deviated from the agenda decided in Ufa.”
Asked about the possibility of any dialogue in future, Mr Singh said: “Go and ask Pakistan, how can I reply to it?”
The United States said it was “disappointed” that the talks between the two NSAs had been called off. “We are disappointed the talks will not happen this weekend and encourage India and Pakistan to resume a formal dialogue soon,” state department spokesman John Kirby said in Washington.
The spokesman said the Ufa discussion was “encouraging” and constructive.
