File Photo: Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit
New Delhi:
Kashmiri separatists have been invited to celebrate Eid with the Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit early next week. Last year, India cancelled talks between the Foreign Secretaries of both countries after the Pakistani envoy insisted on hosting the separatist leaders before the dialogue.
Mr Basit told NDTV today, "There's nothing unusual about our invite to Hurriyat leaders. The hype being created by some is unfortunate, to put it mildly. Pakistan will continue extending its full moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their legitimate struggle for self-determination."
The comments come just days after big breakthroughs were resulted in Ufa, Russia, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in a resumption of talks. After that session, it was announced that National Security Advisors of both countries would meet in Delhi for a discussion on combating terror. The Ufa developments were hailed by analysts in both countries as a much-needed thaw after months of violence along the border in Jammu and Kashmir and provocative statements by leaders on both sides.
But already, the progress that was made appears to be in question. Today, Pakistan's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz said that his country's trial of Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi who masterminded the Mumbai attacks of 2008 cannot be speeded up, as agreed to in Ufa, because more evidence is needed. The comment appeared as an attempt to once again shift the blame for the inaction to India, which has committed to purveying more voice samples.
Mr Aziz also said that his Prime Minister had reiterated concerns of "India's alleged interference in the internal matters of Pakistan, particularly its continuing support for insurgency in Balochistan."
Members of the ruling BJP said the comments are aimed at combating criticism in Pakistan, where the Opposition has derided Mr Sharif for "appeasing India" by omitting a specific reference to Kashmir from the joint statement of both countries in Ufa.
Mr Basit told NDTV today, "There's nothing unusual about our invite to Hurriyat leaders. The hype being created by some is unfortunate, to put it mildly. Pakistan will continue extending its full moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their legitimate struggle for self-determination."
The comments come just days after big breakthroughs were resulted in Ufa, Russia, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in a resumption of talks. After that session, it was announced that National Security Advisors of both countries would meet in Delhi for a discussion on combating terror. The Ufa developments were hailed by analysts in both countries as a much-needed thaw after months of violence along the border in Jammu and Kashmir and provocative statements by leaders on both sides.
But already, the progress that was made appears to be in question. Today, Pakistan's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz said that his country's trial of Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi who masterminded the Mumbai attacks of 2008 cannot be speeded up, as agreed to in Ufa, because more evidence is needed. The comment appeared as an attempt to once again shift the blame for the inaction to India, which has committed to purveying more voice samples.
Mr Aziz also said that his Prime Minister had reiterated concerns of "India's alleged interference in the internal matters of Pakistan, particularly its continuing support for insurgency in Balochistan."
Members of the ruling BJP said the comments are aimed at combating criticism in Pakistan, where the Opposition has derided Mr Sharif for "appeasing India" by omitting a specific reference to Kashmir from the joint statement of both countries in Ufa.
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