SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
When it comes to talks, India’s delaying tactics are not something new. India has always been objectionable on Pakistan’s commitment to Kashmir. Thus the recent bone of contention this time was Pakistan’s officials meeting with Hurriyat Leaders. Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, claimed the Indian government does not object to his meetings with Hurriyat leaders. This statement betrays the opposite. If India did not mind, he wouldn’t have had to defend himself by saying, “Don’t try to make an issue out of a non-issue,” when asked about meeting with separatists. Meetings with Hurriyat leaders have earlier been the cause for India cancelling foreign secretary-level talks, and this time there has been some outrage in the Shiv Sena over the meeting. The Indian government however has not stated any displeasure yet, but that remains to be seen.
The recent criticism on VK Singh was just because of the presence of Hurriyet members, which has put off India repeatedly since Modi took office, and was responsible for cancelling foreign secretary level talks last August. However, arriving late and staying only ten minutes before leaving and making veiled suggestions like ‘duty’ and ‘disgust’ on social media, which obviously found its way to more mainstream media, did not suit such a senior representative of the government. The Indian government did not do itself, or any other party to the conflict, any favours by taking a position that puts any chance of progress on indefinite freeze. From water to security, everything is at stake for Pakistan over the Kashmir issue, and India does not have even half as much to lose, except hurt its twice-as-big ego. It is time for both the countries to move forward and start from those points where interest converge rather than taking up those issues where both are at logger heads.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
