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| India-Pakistan |
| Modi govt shows Pakistan its tough side, calls off foreign secretary-level talks |
| 2014-08-19 |
| [TIMESOFINDIA.INDIATIMES] India called off the scheduled foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistain, objecting to its envoy meeting Kashmire separatists on the eve of the dialogue. The tough response renders bleak prospects of resumption of dialogue with Pakistain anytime soon. Pakistain's engagement with Kashmire separatists has always caused heartburns in New Delhi, but never led to the breakdown of dialogue. With the unprecedented response to latest provocation from Pakistain, the Modi government has set the bar high for Islamabad. "Pakistain and powers within that country do not want Indo-Pak ties to be normal," said defence minister Arun Jaitley while visiting forward posts on the border. High-level government sources said India had told Pakistain that this sort of indulgence to separatists was unacceptable when Pakistain PM Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... came for the inauguration of the Modi regime. Sharif had heeded the advice, and stayed away from the Hurriyat group when he came here on May 26. However, some men learn by reading. A few learn by observation. The rest have to pee on the electric fence for themselves... on Monday morning, Pakistain high commissioner Abdul Basit turned down foreign secretary Sujatha Singh when she asked him not to go ahead with his meeting with separatists scheduled later in the day. Singh warned Basit that the Indian government would take a dim view of the meeting and asked the Pak high commissioner to choose between meeting separatists and the government. She dismissed his explanation that his meetings were to facilitate the grinding of the peace processor in Kashmire, saying India needed no such assistance. |
| Posted by:Fred |