Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz
Hours before crucial talks were meant to begin in Delhi, Pakistan on Saturday night announced that it cannot meet the two terms India said were non-negotiable. Talks between the National Security Advisers of the two countries stand cancelled.
"The scheduled NSA level talks cannot be held on the basis of the preconditions set by India," Pakistan said in a statement late on Saturday evening.
"Pakistan's decision is unfortunate," said a foreign ministry spokesperson, adding, "India did not set any preconditions... We only reiterated that Pakistan respect the spirit of the Simla & Ufa Agreements to which it was already committed."
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had earlier on Saturday set a midnight deadline for Pakistan to accept that Kashmir would not be part of the agenda of the talks, and that Sartaj Aziz, the Pakistani NSA, would not meet Kashmiri separatists in Delhi.
Ms Swaraj said the contours of talks decided at a meeting in Russia's Ufa last month, clearly restricted them to terrorism. "They are welcome to come," she said, provided Pakistan declared it would comply.
The Pakistan government has said it has, "come to the conclusion that the proposed NSA level talks between the two countries would not serve any purpose, if conducted on the basis of the two conditions laid down by the Minister."
It also alleged, "Considering that many terror 'incidents' blamed initially by India on Pakistan eventually turned out to be fake, it is not improbable that India can delay the Resumed Dialogue indefinitely by concocting one or two incidents and keeping the LoC hot."
Mr Aziz was meant to arrive today for talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, the result of an unexpected agreement reached by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif in Ufa.
Last year, India cancelled talks between Foreign Secretaries after Pakistan consulted with Kashmiri separatists.
The Ufa initiative had brought hope of re-engagement after a period that saw escalated tension along the border in Jammu and Kashmir. But the talks appeared increasingly untenable as both sides exchanged fierce recriminations this week.