Cong asks whether NSA-level talks will serve any purpose

Ahead of the NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan, Congress today questioned whether it would serve any purpose as cases of ceasefire violations have increased since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Ufa.
Congress spokesperson R P N Singh, however, said that it was a prerogative of the government to have the NSA-level talks.
The National Security Advisors (NSA) of India and Pakistan will hold talks on terrorism-related issues for the first time on August 23 in New Delhi, which Islamabad sees as an "ice-breaking" step but not a breakthrough.
The decision to hold NSA-level talks was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif last month at Ufa in Russia.

The two sides agreed on a "meeting in New Delhi between the two NSAs to discuss all issues connected to terrorism", a statement had said after their interaction on the sidelines of BRICS Summit.
Congress spokesperson Singh said India should insist on strong action against the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack including its mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.

Singh also expressed surprise that the Prime Minister in his Independence Day address did not touch the issue of terrorism and ceasefire violations by Pakistan despite the fact that civilians as well as security personnel were getting killed due to such incidents.

He said that Modi while in opposition used to say that India should not hold talks with Pakistan as long as it does not rein in terror activities on its soil. Now, Prime Minister Modi has made a u-turn, Singh added.
A woman was killed and five persons were injured today as Pakistani troops intensified shelling on border posts and civilian area in Poonch and Rajouri in continued ceasefire violations that have claimed six lives in two days. There have been 38 violations of the 2003 ceasefire accord in August. There has been over 230 ceasefire violations along Indo-Pak border this year.