NEW DELHI, India: The Indian government has alleged that some sections in the Pakistani establishment don’t want peace and trying to sabotage the upcoming security talks between the two countries.
The allegation was made after the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi invited Kashmiri separatist leaders for a meeting with the security advisor Sartaj Aziz prior to his talks with the Indian security advisor Ajit Doval on August 23.
In response to Pakistan High Commission’s invitation to Kashmiri leaders, the Indian government said that it will “respond appropriately” if the Pakistanis go ahead with the meeting with them.
“Let’s see what happens (if they go ahead with the meeting with the separatists). The government will respond appropriately,” the Indian government sources were quoted as saying by Press Trust of India (PTI), the largest news agency in India.
The sources asserted that there are some sections in the Pakistani establishment which want to “scuttle” the India-Pakistan national security advisors (NSA) level talks scheduled in New Delhi on August 23 and 24.
The sources said that such sections are ratcheting up anti-India activities thereby, pushing India to call off national security advisors level talks.
“The invitation should be seen as latest provocative move in that direction,” the sources said.
The Kashmiri separatist leaders who have been invited by the Pakistan High Commission for a meeting with Sartaj Aziz in New Delhi include Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Nayeem Khan and Yasin Malik.
Last year, India unilaterally called off the foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan after the Pakistan High Commissioner held consultations with the Kashmiri separatist leaders on the eve of the meeting.