India-Pakistan NSA-Level Talks In Jeopardy Due To Confrontation Over Separatist Leaders

NEW DELHI: The upcoming Indo-Pak NSA-level talks appeared to be on the verge of being aborted with both sides locked in a confrontation over Kashmiri separatist leaders.

India made it abundantly clear that a meeting between separatists and Pakistan's NSA Sartaj Aziz, who is scheduled to arrive here on Sunday for the talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, was unacceptable. Kashmiri separatist leaders had been briefly detained before being released yesterday in a clear signal to Pakistan.

External Affairs Minister Spokesperson Vikas Swarup, said "India has advised Pakistan yesterday that it would not be appropriate for Sartaz Aziz to meet with Hurriyat representatives in India. Such a meeting would not be in keeping with the spirit and intent of the Ufa understanding to jointly work to combat terrorism."

Within hours, Pakistan government sources reacted sharply to Indian position and said, "The talks with Hurriyat are on. Pakistan will not take dictation from India. (Indo-Pak) talks are not based on conditional diplomacy."

Pakistan also accused India of running aways from the talks, saying it was yet to send it a proposal on the logistics and agenda for the Aziz-Doval talks.

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