National Security Advisor Ajit Doval (L), and Pak NSA Sartaj Aziz (R)
India will not call off next week's talks with Pakistan's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz despite the fact that he will meet with Kashmiri separatist leaders in Delhi, government sources said today. They added that India "has a surprise for Pakistan in the talks" but did not elaborate.
Acknowledging that Pakistan's move to invite the separatists to meet with Mr Aziz is designed to provoke India, sources said the government will not comply "by abrogating talks".
On Sunday, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is to conference with Mr Aziz for an agenda focused heavily on countering terror. Heavy Pakistani fire across the border in Jammu and Kashmir that has targeted civilians, as well as recent terror attacks in Punjab and Udhampur prove that "Pakistan is not serious, but we need to raise terrorism with them who else do we talk to?" said the highly-placed sources.
As proof of Pakistan's clear strategy to score points at home, the agenda for the talks sent by Islamabad includes a discussion on India's alleged role in the insurgency in Balochistan. Sources said the government is clear that it will not tolerate any attempts by Pakistan to deflect attention from the terror attacks that originate within its borders against India.
Last July, India called off talks after Pakistan consulted Kashmiri separatists before a meeting of Foreign Secretaries. A thaw was managed a year later at an unexpected meeting in Ufa in July between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif, who agreed to resume dialogue.
The opposition and Yashwant Sinha, a senior BJP leader, have said the National Security Advisors' talks should not be held while Pakistan refuses to reign in attacks against India. Government sources say that PM Modi has not renounced his earlier stand of refusing talks till Pakistan ends shootings and pushing terrorists across the border. "Talks and terror cannot go hand in hand, but talks on terror are a must," said government sources.