Aziz to visit India on Aug 23 for first-ever NSA-level talks

National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan will meet in New Delhi on August 23 to discuss all issues connected to terrorism for the first time which Islamabad described as an "ice-breaking" move.
The confirmation for the talks by Pakistan comes amid simmering tensions following terror attacks in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir and incidents of ceasefire violations resulting in causalities, prompting strong diplomatic protests from both sides.
"Yes, I can confirm it that I will be going to India on (August) 23rd for talks," Prime Minister's Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaz Aziz told reporters in Islamabad.

The announcement today by Aziz came after considerable dilly-dallying by Pakistan, generating speculation that the army was against it as it was unhappy over non-inclusion of Kashmir in the statement which was issued after the meeting between the Prime Ministers of the two countries in Ufa.
According to the Ufa statement, the two sides agreed on a "meeting in New Delhi between the two NSAs to discuss all issues connected to terrorism".
After the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif last month, India had proposed August 23-24 for the meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Aziz in New Delhi.

"Our Prime Minister has always believed in dialogue. It was India which suspended the meeting which was scheduled between the two Foreign Secretaries on August 25 last year. And then at India's request the two Prime Minister's met in Ufa, Russia, on 10th July and they agreed that the two NSAs will meet in Delhi," Aziz said.
"It (upcoming meeting) is not a breakthrough in terms of composite dialogue on all issues. But at least it is ice-breaking on some issues. And let us hope that it would lead to further more comprehensive dialogue on all the issues between the two countries. So we do believe in dialogue to resolve the issues," he added.

Officials said the decision for the Aziz-Doval meeting was taken after the final nod by Sharif, who returned last night from his three-day visit to Belarus.