India urges Pakistan against meeting separatists

AFP, NEW DELHI: India said yesterday it has urged Pakistan against meeting Kashmiri separatist leaders ahead of rare talks between the two countries’ top security advisers in New Delhi, hiking tensions between the arch rivals. The foreign ministry said it would be inappropriate for Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz to hold the meeting on Sunday in Delhi just before scheduled talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.
India cancelled talks with Pakistan last year between their foreign secretaries, outraged over a similar meeting that took place, a move that set back already tense relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
“India has advised Pakistan yesterday that it would not be appropriate for Mr Sartaz Aziz to meet with Hurriyat (separatist) representatives in India,” foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said on Twitter.
Pakistan said Friday it push ahead with the meeting despite India’s “advice”, calling the pro-independence leaders “genuine stakeholders” in efforts to find a solution to the dispute over the Kashmir region.
“Pakistan sees no reason to depart from this established past practice,” of meeting leaders ahead of talks, the foreign ministry in Islamabad said on in a statement.

 

India urges Pakistan against meeting separatists

AFP, NEW DELHI: India said yesterday it has urged Pakistan against meeting Kashmiri separatist leaders ahead of rare talks between the two countries top security advisers in New Delhi, hiking tensions between the arch rivals. The foreign ministry said it would be inappropriate for Pakistans National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz to hold the meeting on Sunday in Delhi just before scheduled talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. India cancelled talks with Pakistan last year between their foreign secretaries, outraged over a similar meeting that took place, a move that set back already tense relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours. India has advised Pakistan yesterday that it would not be appropriate for Mr Sartaz Aziz to meet with Hurriyat (separatist) representatives in India, foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said on Twitter. Pakistan said Friday it push ahead with the meeting despite Indias advice, calling the pro-independence leaders genuine stakeholders in efforts to find a solution to the dispute over the Kashmir region. Pakistan sees no reason to depart from this established past practice, of meeting leaders ahead of talks, the foreign ministry in Islamabad said on in a statement.