India calls off talks after Pakistan envoy ignores signal to not engage with Hurriyat leaders

India today sent out a stern message to Pakistan by calling off foreign secretary level talks with Pakistan that were scheduled for 25 August in Islamabad. Earlier in the day, senior separatist leader Shabbir Shah had told the media in New Delhi after meeting Pakistan High Commissioner in India Abdul Basit that he hoped that India accepts that Kashmir is a “disputed region” and the talks need to be trilateral rather than being bilateral which were not effective enough till date. [caption id=“attachment_1669491” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] ![Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI](https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Modi_380PTI6.jpg) Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI[/caption] India was clearly peeved when Basit invited Kashmiri separatist leaders for “consultations” before the talks in Islamabad. Not only that Pakistan also resorted to firing on 20 Border Security Force throughout Sunday night. As per reports, Indian foreign security Sujatha Singh called up the Pakistan High Commissioner to inform him that her talks ahead with her counterpart in Islamabad AA Chowdhury has been cancelled. “Pakistan High Commissioner’s meeting with the ‘so-called’ separatist leaders undermines the constructive diplomatic engagement initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his very first day in office. The invitation to the so-called Hurriyat leaders by the Pakistani High Commissioner so-called raises doubts about Pakistan’s sincerity,” Ministry of External Affairs Syed Akbauddin told ANI. He made it clear unless talks are held within the framework of Shimla Agreement and Lahore Declaration, they will be rendered futile. The MEA spokesperson made it amply clear that Pakistan’s bonhomie with the Hurriyat Conference amounts to interfering with India’s internal affairs. The hard stand by the NDA government is in opposition to the soft stand taken by then prime minister Manmohan Singh through the Sharm-el-Sheikh joint statement on 16 July 2009 along with his then Pakistani counterpart Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. “The two Prime Ministers had a cordial and constructive meeting. They considered the entire gamut of bilateral relations with a view to charting the way forward in India-Pakistan relations. Both leaders agreed that terrorism is the main threat to both countries. Both leaders affirmed their resolve to fight terrorism and to cooperate with each other to this end…. Both Prime Ministers recognised that dialogue is the only way forward. Action on terrorism should not be linked to the composite dialogue process and these should not be bracketed. Prime Minister Singh said that India was ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan, including all outstanding issues,” the joint statement had said. Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi had surprised everyone by inviting his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif to his swearing-in ceremony in May this year, the euphoria soon got lost due to Pakistani forces’ continuous violation of the ceasefire both along the International Border and Line of Control. Political reactions to India’s decision were quick to come through Twitter. https://twitter.com/ChouhanShivraj/status/501357876393168897 https://twitter.com/ChouhanShivraj/status/501357451283681280 https://twitter.com/ianuragthakur/status/501360052859453440 According to media reports, the Pakistan High Commissioner was told in no uncertain terms earlier that Islamabad should either engage with the separatists leaders or with New Delhi and if the envoy goes ahead with his meet it would have its consequences.

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India calls off talks after Pakistan envoy ignores signal to not engage with Hurriyat leaders

India was clearly peeved when Basit invited Kashmiri separatist leaders for “consultations” before the talks in Islamabad. Not only that Pakistan also resorted to firing on 20 Border Security Force throughout Sunday night.

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