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Pakistani envoy meets Kashmiri separatists, India calls off bilateral talks
NEW DELHi: India on Monday called off the foreign secretary-level bilateral talks with Pakistan which was slated to be held on August 25. This development follows the Pakistani high commissioner to India Abdul basit meeting separatist leaders from Kashmir.
Earlier on Monday, the Pakistani envoy met Kashmiri separatists on Monday ahead of the proposed foreign secretary-level talks between New Delhi and Islamabad.
This invoked sharp reaction from political quarters in India with the opposition Congress hitting out at the Centre for allowing the envoy to meet the Hurriyat leaders.
The Congress had accused the government of doublespeak questioning why the talks had not been called off.
'Bilateral talks cannot resolve Kashmir issue'
Earlier, prominent separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah on Monday welcomed the upcoming India-Pakistan foreign-secretary level talks, but maintained that bilateral dialogue between the two countries would not resolve the Kashmir issue as people of the state were principal party to the dispute.
"We welcome the talks between India and Pakistan but bilateral talks cannot resolve Kashmir issue as we have seen that such initiatives always ended in failure over the past six decades," Shah said.
Shah said the Kashmir issue cannot be resolved without the inclusion of "true leadership" of Jammu & Kashmir in the resolution process "as we are the basic party". He said there was nothing wrong in Pakistani high commissioner meeting the separatist leaders. "India and Pakistan are parties to Kashmir dispute but we are the basic party. What is wrong if one party meets the other party?" he said.
Basit has also invited other separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mohammad Yasin Malik for consultations in Delhi on Tuesday.
Pakistani envoy meets Kashmiri separatists, India calls off bilateral talks - The Times of India
NEW DELHi: India on Monday called off the foreign secretary-level bilateral talks with Pakistan which was slated to be held on August 25. This development follows the Pakistani high commissioner to India Abdul basit meeting separatist leaders from Kashmir.
Earlier on Monday, the Pakistani envoy met Kashmiri separatists on Monday ahead of the proposed foreign secretary-level talks between New Delhi and Islamabad.
This invoked sharp reaction from political quarters in India with the opposition Congress hitting out at the Centre for allowing the envoy to meet the Hurriyat leaders.
The Congress had accused the government of doublespeak questioning why the talks had not been called off.
'Bilateral talks cannot resolve Kashmir issue'
Earlier, prominent separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah on Monday welcomed the upcoming India-Pakistan foreign-secretary level talks, but maintained that bilateral dialogue between the two countries would not resolve the Kashmir issue as people of the state were principal party to the dispute.
"We welcome the talks between India and Pakistan but bilateral talks cannot resolve Kashmir issue as we have seen that such initiatives always ended in failure over the past six decades," Shah said.
Shah said the Kashmir issue cannot be resolved without the inclusion of "true leadership" of Jammu & Kashmir in the resolution process "as we are the basic party". He said there was nothing wrong in Pakistani high commissioner meeting the separatist leaders. "India and Pakistan are parties to Kashmir dispute but we are the basic party. What is wrong if one party meets the other party?" he said.
Basit has also invited other separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mohammad Yasin Malik for consultations in Delhi on Tuesday.
Pakistani envoy meets Kashmiri separatists, India calls off bilateral talks - The Times of India