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Updated 21 Aug, 2015 06:03pm

Pakistan rejects Indian 'advice' on meeting with Hurriyat leaders

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has conveyed to India that it would not be possible for it to accept the Indian government's advice regarding the National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz's meeting with Hurriyat leaders, according to a statement published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

The message was conveyed to the Indian High Commissioner by Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry.

The statement also said Pakistan is willing to go ahead with the meeting of the NSAs but no pre-conditions will be accepted in this regard.

The press release said India's insistence to introduce conditionalities and restrict the agenda for the dialogue demonstrates 'lack of seriousness to engage with Pakistan'.

Read: Pakistan invites separatists for meeting 'to irritate India': Indian analyst

The statement further said that Kashmir is a disputed territory as per the UN Security Council resolutions which are yet to be implemented. It added that Pakistani leadership has always interacted with representatives of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), during their visits to India there is no reason to depart from this routine practice.

The Hurriyat leaders are true representatives of the Kashmiri people of India-held Kashmir and regarded by Pakistan as genuine stakeholders in the efforts to find a lasting solution of the Kashmir Dispute, according to the press release.

Pakistan has proposed and conveyed to India a comprehensive agenda, reflecting the broad understanding reached between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian Premier Narendra Modi in Ufa, that all outstanding issues, including Kashmir and other disputes, as well as, terrorism issues and other Confidence Building Measures will be discussed between the two countries.

Read: Pakistan's meeting with Hurriyat representatives not 'appropriate': India

Earlier today, Spokesperson of Indian Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup in a series of tweets had said that Sartaj Aziz should not hold any meeting with All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) representatives, and termed any such a meeting as "not appropriate".

Sartaj Aziz and his Indian counterpart are scheduled to meet in New Delhi for the first time on August 23 to discuss terrorism-related issues.

The meeting between the two countries' national security advisers was decided upon when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi held a meeting in Russia last month.

Ball is in India's court: Pervaiz Rashid

Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, has said on Friday that the ball is in India's court as far as the talks between National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval are concerned.

"We are prepared to hold talks for holding talks, but we will not compromise on our rules and principals," said Rashid.

"Our stance is that talks should definitely be held, all issues between the two countries need to be resolved through a dialogue process," added Rashid.

The minister also stated that it was agreed between the two premiers at Ufa that talks would be held to resolve outstanding issues between Pakistan and India, and as Pakistan we look forward to it.

"We want to hold talks, but we do not want any restrictions on the dialogue process," stated the federal minister.

Last year, the Indian government had called off foreign secretary talks, reason being that Pakistan had "consulted" with Kashmiri separatists before the talks.

Yesterday in a statement, Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khalilullah clarified: "there is nothing unusual in such meetings and it has been normal practice for Pakistan to consult Hurriyat leaders prior to high level meeting with India".

The statement came after three Kashmiri separatist leaders were placed under house arrest but were later freed.

More on this: Kashmiri leaders' house arrest comes to an abrupt end: Indian media reports

The meeting between the two countries' security advisers signals the resumption of talks between India and Pakistan after a one year hiatus.

Since the meeting between the two premiers in July, militant attacks and border skirmishes have poisoned the atmosphere between Islamabad and New Delhi.

The invitation for dialogue came from New Delhi and in the shadow of the July 27 militant attack in Gurdaspur, which some Indian leaders have blamed on Pakistan.

India is also planning to raise the issue of the trial of the alleged plotters of the Mumbai attacks by a Pakistani court and the bail for Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the principal accused in the case.

Pakistan would, meanwhile, want to flag its concerns about alleged Indian involvement in terrorist activities in Karachi, Balochistan and the country's tribal areas. The Kashmir issue is also on the agenda of the talks between the security advisers of the two countries.

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