SURPRISED by the strong domestic and foreign criticism of his government’s unfortunate decision to cancel India-Pakistan foreign secretary-level talks which were fixed for Aug 25, Narendra Modi seems to be having second thoughts.

On the eve of his departure for Japan, which wants to see friendly relations between India and Pakistan, the Indian prime minister said he would have “no hesitation” in having discussions with Pakistan on all “outstanding issues”.

His foreign ministry spokesman had said a day earlier that the talks could be held on all issues, including Kashmir, within the bilateral framework agreed upon at Shimla and Lahore.

Talking to Japanese journalists, Mr Modi said he had a “very good meeting” with Nawaz Sharif during the latter’s visit to New Delhi and the two agreed that the foreign secretaries should meet to “explore how to take relations forward”. He added that his government would continue to make efforts to build “peaceful, friendly and cooperative ties with Pakistan”.

That was all fine. But he did not let the occasion go without a dig at his western neighbour, alleging Islamabad had tried to make “a spectacle” of the Pakistan high commissioner’s meeting with Kashmiri leaders. That was a poor excuse.

Pakistan’s position has always been that Kashmir is not a piece of real estate, that Islamabad and New Delhi could not alone resolve the dispute and that, to be lasting, a solution must enjoy the support of the Kashmiri people. For this reason, Pakistan mission chiefs in New Delhi have regularly met Hurriyat leaders to keep them informed about the state of talks.

Shortly after India called off the secretary-level talks, Hurriyat leader Shabir Shah said the Kashmir issue could not be resolved without the inclusion of the “true leadership” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the resolution process, because, as he put it, “we are the basic party.

Also read: India calls off foreign secretary level talks with Pakistan

What is wrong if one party meets the other party?” The Indian stand was that the high commissioner’s meeting with the Kashmiri leaders constituted “unacceptable interference” in Indian affairs. Mr Modi’s latest remarks constitute an admission that the decision to cancel the secretaries’ talks was wrong, because it had torpedoed the attempt to revive the process that hasn’t really recovered from the Mumbai attacks.

Only the future will tell whether Mr Modi’s intentions declared at the media talk constituted an exercise in PR, the target audience being Mr Modi’s critics abroad, or if he meant what he said.

Published in Dawn, August 31, 2014