Pakistan's civil and military leadership reject "terror only" talks with India

New Delhi, Aug 22: The NSA level talks between India and Pakistan is clearly in trouble. It is just a question as to who calls of the talks. Both Pakistan and India want each other to take the decision to call off the talks and taking into account the current situation, both sides are not really interested in going ahead with the talks.

The question is who will take that call. Both nations do not want to take the blame for calling off the talks. Pakistan has been particularly proactive in "needling" India so that the talks are called off. India says that bringing in the issue of separatists was not in the right spirit while Pakistan on the other hand differed on this.

The Pakistan media however suggests that the talks may be called off and the Pakistani media says that the talks are unlikely to take place and the talks are all but called off with both sides unwilling to shift from their positions.

Both sides not prepared to blink:

It is very evident that the bone of contention has become the separatists. India is hell bent upon not allowing the separatists meet with Sartaj Aziz. Pakistan on the other hand has decided to stick to its position of meeting with the Hurriyat leaders.

The Dawn, a leading newspaper in Paksitan has reported that "both sides issuing statements to emphasise their positions and blame the other for the deadlock", the events in the run-up to the meeting "were redolent of a strategy by both sides to compel the other to walk away from the meeting."

In the Tribune, a statement by the Pakistan Foreign office is quoted in which it said "this is the second time that India has chosen to go back on a decision mutually agreed upon between the two Prime Ministers, to engage in a comprehensive dialogue, by coming up with frivolous pretexts.

Both civil and military leadership in Pak opposed to terror only talks:

While in many sections it had been reported that it is the military and the ISI which calls all the shots when it comes to talks between India and Pakistan, it is clear this time that even the civil leadership has decided to oppose terror only talks.

While it would be clear whether the talks would go on as per schedule on not during the course of the day, Pakistan's military and civil leadership are clearly not in favour of having terror only talks.

India is opposed to the idea of talking on Kashmir and says that the talks should focus only on terror. Pakistan on the other hand has made it clear that Kashmir shall be on the agenda and India cannot dictate terms.

In a meeting comprising Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharrif and army chief General Raheel Sharif it was decided that talks should include "all bilateral disputes", including Kashmir.

OneIndia News