Pakistani media welcomes NSA-level talks with India, calls it 'side-effect' of BJP's rout in Bihar polls

Islamabad: Pakistani media on Monday welcomed the surprise NSA-level Indo-Pak talks in Bangkok, terming it “a thaw in the frosty relations” between the two neighbours and a “side-effect” of BJP’s rout in Bihar polls last month. [caption id=“attachment_2536198” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] The ‘candid and cordial’ meeting between Pakistan’s recently appointed National Security Advisor (NSA) retired Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval is being seen by political pundits as a ‘side effect’ of the Bihar elections in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP was humiliated, Dawn commented. It further said that the joint statement issued after meeting shows “New Delhi rowing back from its recent position and agreeing to discuss Jammu and Kashmir in the otherwise familiar mix of issues”. The paper said it was not difficult to gauge the future course of talks between the two countries. “Who would carry forward the constructive engagement? That was not clear, setting off curious surmises. “Allowing (External Affairs minister Sushma) Swaraj to head future talks would involve the external affairs bureaucracy, which is not Modi’s preferred method of working,” it reported. The NSAs of the two countries met for four hours in Bangkok on Sunday and discussed terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, and other bilateral issues and agreed to take forward the “constructive” engagement. The News International termed the Bangkok meeting as “breakthrough”. “Barely a week after a meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Paris, there was an important breakthrough in Bangkok on Sunday, when the National Security Advisors (NSA) of the two sides met for a lengthy meeting,” it reported. The paper also said that the meeting in a third country, which was kept secret, resulted in a much-needed agreement where both countries agreed to “carry forward the constructive engagement”. Right-wing paper The Nation also supported the talks in its front page lead. “After months-long bickering between Pakistan and India, their national security advisors and foreign secretaries secretly met in Bangkok yesterday and discussed peace and security issues between the two countries,” it reported. The Express Tribune under the headline “Top security aides spring Bangkok surprise” reported that the foreign secretaries and NSA of Pakistan and India met “in a surprise development that is likely to thaw the frosty relationship” between the two countries. It said the meeting between the NSAs lasted for four hours and termed it a “breakthrough” for the bilateral ties. The Urdu press also gave front page coverage to the meeting, hoping that it will pave way for more talks. PTI