New Delhi:
The Home Ministry has denied news reports that Rajnath Singh will meet his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of a SAARC conference in Nepal later this month.
"The HM is of the firm opinion that terror & talks cannot go together. Unless Pakistan stops terrorism and violence no dialogue is possible," the home ministry tweeted this morning, dismissing the news reports as "incorrect and fabricated."
Dates for the Home Ministers' conference in Kathmandu have not been finalised yet, but the meeting of eight neighbours, members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC could be held from September 17 to 19, sources said. Home Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to attend.
Apart from India and Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Maldives are SAARC members. Bilateral meetings are often held at such conferences.
Relations have been frosty with Pakistan ever since India called off talks last month after Islamabad's envoy to Delhi insisted on holding consultations with Kashmiri separatist leaders days before the foreign secretaries of the two countries were to meet. (
India Calls Off Talks)
Multiple ceasefire violations by Pakistan since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over in May has added to the tension. The chief of the border security force said last week that Pakistan's attacks on Indian posts in recent weeks is "the heaviest cross-border firing I've seen since the 1971 war." (
Heaviest Cross-Border Firing Since 1971 War)
The Home Minister said yesterday that India's security forces have been directed to give a "befitting" reply to the ceasefire violations by Pakistan and to not "keep showing the white flag" if they continue.(
No White Flag)
"We have on 15 occasions shown white flags, but Pakistan is repeatedly indulging in firing," he had been told, Mr Singh said, adding, "I told the BSF DG that if Pakistan does not desist and keeps going on with its violations, give straight orders (to the BSF troops) that next time white flag will not be shown, firing will be started (from the Indian side)."
Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir, where he accused Pakistan of using militants to conduct "a proxy war" against India. Pakistan said that the charges were "baseless" and that India should steer clear of "a blame game."