NSA talks: ‘All options on the table’ as Hurriyat accepts Pak invite

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While there was no official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday, government sources told The Indian Express that they were “monitoring the developments closely… all options are on the table… the government will respond appropriately.” Asked if the option of cancelling the talks was also on the table, sources replied in the affirmative.

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New Delhi views the invitation to the Hurriyat leaders as the latest in a series of provocative moves by the Pakistan establishment — starting from ceasefire violations, to terror attacks in Gurdaspur and Udhampur.

However, Pakistan High Commission spokesperson Manzoor Ali Memon defended the decision. “There is nothing unusual in calling the Hurriyat leaders for a meeting with the Pakistan NSA. It is part of our consultation with relevant stakeholders as we discuss the resolution of the Kashmir dispute,” he said.

Also read: India to give terror camp details, ask Pak for action plan

When pointed out that the NSA-level talks — as decided between the two Prime Ministers in Ufa — would focus on matters linked to “terrorism”, Memon said, “Terrorism and other contentious issues, which are in the domain of the NSAs, will be taken up. This includes destabilisation in FATA, Balochistan, Karachi… all these issues will be taken up forcefully and effectively by Pakistan.”

He said the invitation to the Hurriyat leaders was a “past practice”, and has been taking place for the last two decades.

He said there would be “chai pe charcha”.

But government sources viewed Islamabad’s moves as attempts to provoke India to cancel the talks. “What was the need to call the Hurriyat leaders? The NSAs are going to talk about terrorism only. It seems they want India to cancel the talks and put the onus on New Delhi,” sources said.

Meanwhile, Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said they would attend the reception. “It is not a formal dialogue, only a consultation process. We want to support the process and should not be seen as a hurdle,” said Mirwaiz.

“We will brief him (Aziz) about the current situation in Kashmir and urge Pakistan to maintain continuity and stability on its Kashmir policy. We will also tell him that Pakistan should use its diplomatic channels to project the Kashmir issue more forcefully and effectively,” said Geelani.

Geelani’s acceptance assumes significance as he, along with JKLF chief Yasin Malik, had rejected an Eid Milan invitation from Basit to mark their protest over Kashmir being ignored in the Ufa joint statement. “We are yet to take a final decision… We will meet again tomorrow to take a final call,” said Malik on Wednesday.