Strange 'diplomat' Basit is making undiplomatic statement: RK Singh

Former home secretary R.K. Singh on Saturday criticised Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit for asserting that the India-Pakistan Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue has been suspended at present. He said it is strange to see that a diplomat making such an 'undiplomatic' remark.

"What Mr. Basit said was not diplomatic at all. It is strange that a diplomat is making such an undiplomatic statement. He has been guilty of undiplomatic acts earlier as well," Singh told ANI.

"I don't know what he was trying to do, whether he was trying to sum up the current situation when he said that the talks are suspended, or, whether he was announcing a decision that the talks are suspended? In any case, his statement was immediately contradicted by Pakistan," he added.

The former home secretary also asserted that the talks between the two nations cannot take place unless and until Pakistan takes action against those who planned the January 2 Pathankot terror attack.

Basit said dialogue with India is suspended and hinted that the National Investigative Agency (NIA) will not be given access to JeM chief Masood Azhar for the probe into the Pathankot attack.

"I would say the dialogue is suspended," Basit said during an interaction at the Foreign Correspondents Club while responding to a question on the status of the comprehensive bilateral dialogue announced by Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistan counterpart Sartaj Aziz last December.

India has countered Basit's assertion that the visit by Pakistan's JIT to investigate the Pathankot terror attack was not on the basis of reciprocity.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that the Indian High Commission in Islamabad had formally conveyed to the Pakistan Foreign Ministry that the terms of reference of the JIT's visit are broadly agreed to with the condition that these would be on the basis of reciprocity.

Reacting to Basit's remarks that the peace process between India and Pakistan stands suspended, Swarup referred to Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria's press conference in which he had stated that both countries are in contact with each other and it has been reiterated from both sides that modalities are being worked out.