Meeting of NSAs doesn't amount to 'resumption of dialogue': M.S. Aiyar

Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Friday welcomed the scheduled meeting of the National Securities Advisors (NSA) of India and Pakistan but added that it does not amount to resumption of dialogue between the two countries.

"There is a gamut of issues in India and Pakistan relations, which were being handled through the composite dialogue, which was coordinated by the Foreign Secretary. I don't think a NSA can form that task. Therefore, while it is to be welcomed that the NSAs will be meeting, I don't think this will amount to the resumption of the dialogue," Aiyar told ANI here.

Earlier today, the Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan, S Jaishankar and Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, issued a joint statement in Ufa, after a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

A meeting in New Delhi between the two NSAs to discuss all issues connected to terrorism was agreed to in the joint statement.