- While Sartaj Aziz says no dialogue will be held with India unless Kashmir is on agenda, BJP spokesman says India will stick to talks agenda agreed in Ufa joint statement
- Aziz says decision to go to UN against India’s involvement in Pakistan will be taken after meeting between national security advisers of both countries
- More information needed to expedite Lakhvi’s trial, Pakistan tells India while seeking progress report on Samjhota Express incident trial
Downplaying Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz’s remarks that no dialogue with India will take place without including Kashmir issue, Indian Bhartia Janta Party (BJP) has said such statements are intended for domestic audience and bilateral talks will proceed on the lines of Ufa joint statement of the two countries.
BJP, which had termed as “game-changing” the outcome of talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, asserted that the joint statement will guide bilateral engagements.
“A lot of statements coming from others are also possibly intended to address their domestic constituencies. As far as we are concerned, the discussion, engagement will largely happen on the lines of the joint statement,” BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said.
Rao said the Ufa joint statement talked about the engagement of officials of both sides at different levels. “The bilateral engagement will proceed along the line of the joint statement,” he said.
Earlier, maintaining that Kashmir tops the list of outstanding issues between India and Pakistan and there will be no dialogue unless Kashmir issue is on agenda, Sartaj Aziz on Monday said that Pakistan has decided to put on hold its case to be taken at United Nations (UN) against Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)’s involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan.
“The decision whether to go to UN or not would be taken only after meeting between the national security advisers of the two countries,” Aziz told reporters during a briefing in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s permanent envoy to the UN Dr Maleeha Lodhi has left Islamabad for New York after getting guidelines and directives from the foreign ministry. “Maleeha has been directed to make preparation for Pakistan’s participation in the UN General Assembly,” Aziz said.
Addressing the press conference regarding the prime minister’s visit to Ufa, Aziz said the July 10 meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not the formal start of a dialogue process but it served an important purpose to achieve an understanding that both neighbours must reduce tensions and hostility in order to constructively engage in a structured dialogue on all issues of bilateral and regional interest, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
KASHMIR FIRST BUT NOT THE ONLY ISSUE:
The PM’s adviser said that the statement issued after the meeting clearly recognised that India and Pakistan have a collective responsibility to ensure peace and promote development and to do so, they are prepared to discuss all outstanding issues.
“And we all know which those outstanding issues are. Kashmir of course tops the list of outstanding issues, but there are also other important issues like Siachen, Sir Creek, interference and water. Kashmiris have suffered for three generations now,” he added.
Aziz said that Pakistan has stood by the Kashmiris in their legitimate struggle and PM Sharif affirmed the country’s principled position in clear and unequivocal terms during his annual speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
“We would continue to extend political, moral, and diplomatic support to our Kashmiri brethren,” he said.
The adviser said that the meeting provided an opportunity to identify some areas where the two countries could promote cooperation right away in order to reduce tensions and hostility.
“Peace and tranquility on the LoC and Working Boundary is in the interest of both countries. Even though at present, ceasefire is by and large being maintained, there have been occasions when this ceasefire was violated causing casualties and injuries to people inhabiting those areas.”
“Both leaders agreed that the existing mechanism of regular meetings between Rangers DG, BSFs DG and DG MOs should be held to ensure full compliance with the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding.”
REVIVING TRACK II DIALOGUE:
Aziz further remarked that the two sides have also agreed to revive Track II dialogue to explore ways of resolving issues that are lingering for a long time and need to be resolved in order to give peace a chance. Modalities for this track will be worked out through diplomatic channels.
He said Pakistan has been deeply concerned, not only about hostile statements from Indian ministers but also about Indian interference in Pakistan, including continuing support for insurgency in Balochistan.
India on the other hand has been repeating its traditional accusations of cross border terrorism while overlooking the decisive counter-terrorism campaign launched by Pakistan in the past two years.
“To address these acrimonious concerns, the two sides agreed that the national security advisers of the two countries would meet, first in New Delhi and then in Islamabad,” Sartaj Aziz said. He said the next step will depend on progress in meetings between the national security advisers.
MUMBAI TRIAL:
On Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi’s trial, the alleged mastermind 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the PM’s adviser said that Pakistan needed more evidence and information to conclude the trial.
The adviser said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also sought information on the progress made on the trial of Samjhota Express terrorist incident.
MEETINGS OTHER WORLD LEADERS:
Moreover, Aziz referred to PM Sharif’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a development of historic proportion. The two leaders agreed to enhance bilateral relationship in all spheres, particularly in trade, investment and defence.
The adviser reiterated the outcome of PM Sharif’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying that the premier provided a welcome opportunity to review the progress made in implementing the decisions taken during the Chinese president’s landmark visit to Pakistan in April with regards to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other avenues of multi-faceted cooperation.
The adviser said that PM Sharif also met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to reaffirm mutual resolve to maintain the upward trajectory of relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
