Sartaj Aziz making false allegations: NCP

The National Communist Party (NCP) on Saturday said that Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs, was making false allegations by saying that India is using the Pathankot terror attack as an 'excuse' to delay bilateral talks, adding that there is no question of reluctance and escapism on part of New Delhi to carry forward the dialogue process.

Speaking to ANI, NCP leader Majeed Memon said that India has always taken a lead in opening the talks at all levels, be it higher level or lower level.

"After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's long interview, in which he touched this part... there was reaction by Sartaj Aziz, who said that India is reluctant to open talks because the Kashmir issue might crop-up, this is not a correct position," Memon said.

"To say that we are not willing to talk is a false excuse. In fact we are always willing that let there be a bilateral talk to sort out every issue between the two sides. There is no question of reluctance and escapism... the allegation is totally false," he added.

The comments come a day after Sartaj Aziz, stated that New Delhi was using excuses like the Pathankot terror attack to further delay talks with Islamabad on a range of issues crucial to both nations.

Speaking in an interview, Aziz said that the priority for Pakistan has always been improved relations with its neighbours including India, and it remains so because without that, Islamabad's economic goals and revivals cannot be achieved.

Asserting that Pathankot was no grounds for dialogues to be cancelled, Aziz added that talks also include terrorist related activities and both nations can also exchange progress reports on that basis also.

"To that extend, I think we have succeeded. So we will continue to insist and urge that we should resume dialogue on all issues and try to improve out relation both in economic and non economic fields," Aziz said.

Following Prime Minister Modi's statement where he placed the onus of stalled talks on Pakistan, Sartaj Aziz has claimed that New Delhi was avoiding dialogue with Islamabad to avoid negotiations on crucial issues such as Kashmir.