New Delhi/Islamabad: National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan will hold talks on terrorism- related issues for the first time on August 23 in New Delhi which Islamabad sees as an “ice-breaking” step though not a breakthrough.
Speculation that Pakistan was dilly-dallying on the talks ended on Thursday with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaz Aziz announcing in Islamabad that “Yes, I can confirm it that I will be going to India on (August) 23rd for talks.”
“It (upcoming meeting) is not a breakthrough in terms of composite dialogue on all issues. But at least it is ice- breaking on some issues. And let us hope that it would lead to further more comprehensive dialogue on all the issues between the two countries. So we do believe in dialogue to resolve the issues,” Aziz said.
The decision to hold NSA-level talks was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif last month in Ufa. The two sides agreed on a “meeting in New Delhi between the two NSAs to discuss all issues connected to terrorism”, a statement had said after their interaction.
After the decision, India had proposed August 23-24 for the meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Aziz in New Delhi.
India is expected to present strong evidence of terrorism emanating from Pakistan highlighted further by recent attacks in Gurdaspur in Punjab and near Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir.
India’s case is bolstered by the capture of Mohammed Naved Yakub, a Pakistani national and a LeT operative, who carried out an attack on a BSF bus last week near Udhampur.
In his early twenties, Naved is from Pakistan’s Faislabad area. During the talks, India is expected to share evidence provided by Naved to prove that he is a Pakistani national and crossed-over from Pakistan to carry out terror attacks in the country.