Pakistan Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid on Saturday said his country will go ahead with NSA-level talks unless India refused to host the meeting. He was reacting to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's press conference in New Delhi in which she made it clear that the first-ever NSA-level talks would not take place if Pakistan insists on discussing Kashmir and ropes in separatists. "Sartaj Aziz will go to India if he was not stopped by India from visiting," he told Geo TV. [related-post] Rashid said Aziz was fully prepared to travel to India and his "travel bag, file work and ticket" are ready. He said putting conditions on a host was against traditions as India first invited Pakistan and was now creating hurdles. "I hope India will not allow the ray of hope to die," he said. Responding to Swaraj's assertion that under the Shimla Agreement there are only two parties to the Kashmir conflict, he said that Kashmiri leaders will not attend the talks between the two countries as they were only invited for reception. He said like India, Pakistan also has a right to talk about issues of its concern.
