No proposal for Sharif-Modi meeting in New York: Pak

Image
Press Trust of India Islamabad
Last Updated : Aug 27 2015 | 8:57 PM IST
Pakistan today said that so far there was no proposal for a meeting between Prime Ministers of Pakistan and India in New York on the sidelines of the annual session of the United Nations next month.
"There is no such proposal on the table," said Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khalilullah.
Khalilullah, however, confirmed to reporters that a meeting between the chiefs of Pakistan's paramilitary Rangers and India's Border Security Force will take place in New Delhi next month.
"Rangers and BSF officials have met in the past as well. They will be meeting again next month to discuss ceasefire violations at the LoC and the Working Boundary," he said.
Over the weekend, India-Pakistan ties hit a new low after Islamabad decided against sending National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz to New Delhi to hold discussions with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.
The proposed talks were called off because of differences over the agenda proposed by Islamabad, and a planned meeting between Kashmiri separatists and Aziz.
The decisions on the meetings between the NSAs and the heads of border guards were taken during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Ufa, Russia.
He said Pakistan has already briefed senior UN officials "about the circumstances under which it was not possible to hold the meeting of the NSAs of Pakistan and India."
Khalilullah said Pakistan would keep the UN informed about all issues of concern with India.
To a question about re-scheduling the NSA-level talks, he said it is for India to indicate its position over the talks.
"As far as Pakistan is concerned, we had very clearly stated that preconditions for talks were not acceptable," he said.
On reports of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's presence in Pakistan, Khalilullah said Pakistan's consistent position on Dawood has been that he is not in Pakistan.
"In this regard, I would like to draw your attention to a statement by Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs given in the Parliament a few months ago that whereabouts of Dawood Ibrahim were not known. His statement vindicated our position," he said.
When asked if Pakistan plans to raise the Kashmir issue and India's involvement in Pakistan, during Sharif's address to the UNGA, he said such speech always contains a reference to Kashmir as an outstanding dispute, that need to be settled peacefully through dialogue.
He said that composition of a Committee for Constitutional reforms in Gilgit-Baltistan is under consideration. It will be headed by Aziz.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Aug 27 2015 | 8:57 PM IST

Next Story