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The government of Pakistan appears prepared to cancel the talks scheduled from Sunday between its National Security Advisor (NSA) and his Indian counterpart.
"It would make no sense to have this meeting," said a top Pakistani diplomat in New Delhi. "We need some time to reflect and then see how to re-engage. One thing is clear: We are not in a position to pay for India's over-reaction on the (Kashmir) Hurriyat last year. India must not expect us to compromise on this central issue. We can wait as much as it takes."
Pakistan high commission sources maintained that their government's NSA, Sartaj Aziz, would be arriving in Delhi on Sunday afternoon.
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It appears the two countries are also unable to agree on the main agenda for the talks. India wanted to discuss issues concerning counter-terrorism and ceasefire violations. Pakistan wanted to resume the composite dialogue that includes the Kashmir dispute, sources told Business Standard.
Pakistan's foreign ministry stated India was coming up with "frivolous pretexts", with an objective to not continue the dialogue. It said as ceasefire violations across the Line of Control had increased, it was imperative that the neighbours carry out a "sincere and serious" dialogue.
Earlier in the day, India had accused Pakistan of reneging on the understanding reached at Ufa a few months ago and criticised its "irresponsible conduct", but stopped short of formally cancelling the NSA talks. Ministry of external affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup said in a statement: "India remains committed to discussing issues with Pakistan peacefully and bilaterally. In fact, we took the initiative to engage at Ufa. But the unilateral imposition of new conditions and distortion of the agreed agenda cannot be the basis for going forward."
Swarup said any contact between Pakistan NSA Aziz and leaders of the separatist Hurriyat Conference in Kashmir would be 'inappropriate'. Pakistan replied it would not be dictated to by India and would hold a meeting with the Hurriyat leaders anyway. Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, too, said a reception for Aziz and the Hurriyat leadership on Sunday at 6pm would go on as scheduled.
Pakistan's foreign ministry stated the Hurriyat leaders were "genuine stakeholders in efforts to find a lasting solution of the Kashmir dispute... It is not Pakistan that has placed any condition for the talks. Pakistan does not disregard agreements or understandings. It is the Indian side which has reneged on commitments agreed upon between the two heads of government in the past year."
The Indian government's statement said at Ufa, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif had agreed to a meeting of the NSAs to discuss all issues connected to terrorism as well as peace and tranquillity on the border. "Instead, we saw a sharp increase in unprovoked firing from the Pakistani side and some serious cross-border incidents."
The statement said no further evidence was needed - the latest incident at Udhampur in Jammu & Kashmir had led to the capture of "a Pakistani national."
The spokesman added Pakistan took 22 days to respond to the proposal of talks. Then the agenda Islamabad proposed was at variance with the agreement reached at Ufa. The agenda between the two NSAs was to discuss terrorism in all aspects. But then came Pakistan's insistence on meeting the Hurriyat - a complete departure from the Ufa understanding.
"India has always held the position that there are only two stakeholders in our relationship not three. The people of both countries can legitimately ask today what is the force that compels Pakistan to disregard the agreements reached by two elected leaders and sabotage their implementation," the statement said, virtually blaming forces other than the elected leadership - namely, the Army of Pakistan - for scuppering the talks.
Another twist in the tale was the flat refusal of Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed to detain the Hurriyat leaders in Kashmir. These leaders had been detained a day ago, reportedly on Delhi's directions, but released within 24 hours at the instance of Mehbooba Mufti, leader of the People's Democratic Party, who is said to have told the government that no one could be arrested in Kashmir without a valid reason. This put paid to the possibility of stopping the Hurriyat leadership in its track by putting them in jail during the Pakistan NSA's visit to India.
