Modi regretting axing talks with Pakistan?

Islamabad, Aug 31: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to be having second thoughts on his decision to cancel foreign secretary level talks with Pakistan, a newspaper said Sunday.

"Surprised by the strong domestic and foreign criticism of his government's unfortunate decision to cancel the talks which were fixed for Aug 25, Modi seems to be having second thoughts," the Dawn said.

A Dawn editorial quoted Modi as saying before leaving for Japan Saturday that New Delhi had "no hesitation" in having discussions with Islamabad on all "outstanding issues".

But Modi added that the talks were called off after Pakistan tried to make "a spectacle" of it by asking its high commissioner in New Delhi to meet Kashmiri separatist leaders.

"That was a poor excuse," the Dawn said.

Reiterating Pakistan's stand on Kashmir, it said Modi's remarks were an admission that the decision to cancel the talks was wrong as it had torpedoed the attempt to revive the bilateral peace process.

"Only the future will tell whether Modi's intentions ... constituted an exercise in PR, the target audience being Modi's critics abroad, or if he meant what he said," the editorial said.

IANS