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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will accept an Indian invitation for a bilateral meeting of national security advisers (NSAs) to discuss terrorism concerns, and will also propose the agenda, the prime minister’s adviser on foreign affairs and national security said on Saturday.
“We will send them our agenda along with the confirmation of the dates so that there is no misunderstanding about what has to be discussed,” Sartaj Aziz told reporters after attending a book launch.
“We have concerns about Indian interference,” Mr Aziz said in reply to a question.
A diplomat told Dawn that Pakistan would press for a discussion on Indian involvement in unrest in Balochistan, Karachi and tribal areas.
Sartaj Aziz had informed parliament last week that the prime minister was likely to speak about Indian interference in Pakistan during his address at the United Nations General Assembly next month.
But on Saturday he clarified that the matter would depend on the outcome of his coming meeting.
India invited Mr Aziz last week to a meeting with his counterpart Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Aug 23 and 24. Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi had agreed during their talks in Russia last month on convening a meeting of the NSAs to discuss issues related to terrorism.
“We have not confirmed as yet because we are working on the agenda we intend to propose,” Mr Aziz said.
Adviser rules out inviting Srinagar assembly speaker to Commonwealth meeting
He also made it clear that the government would not invite the speaker of the Srinagar-based assembly to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) to be held in Islamabad next month, even if India stays out. The invitation would not be in accordance with the country’s “principled stand because we do not consider the assembly as legitimate”, the adviser said.
Indian High Commissioner T.C.A. Raghavan, who was also present at the programme, declared that his country had decided not to attend the conference without the participation of the speaker of the Srinagar-based assembly.
“In the past, Pakistan has invited delegations from Kashmir,” he said while talking to reporters.
A statement issued later by the National Assembly secretariat also confirmed that the parliament had decided no invitation would be sent to the India-held Jammu and Kashmir Assembly despite its membership of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
BLAME GAME: Islamabad appears to be upset over New Delhi’s proclivity to blame Pakistan for all acts of violence happening on its soil.
“Our basic issue is that as soon as an incident happens (in India), fingers begin to be pointed towards us… even before an investigation,” the adviser said.
There had been instances when an accusation was made against Pakistan, but it could not be substantiated later, he recalled. “I would like to discuss this issue as well,” Mr Aziz added.
“The purpose of my visit is that whatsoever reservations and allegations we have, they need to be discussed on the table and not through media,” he said, adding that the meeting would be an attempt to evolve a mechanism for dialogue on these issues.
He expressed the hope that the meeting would help lessen bilateral tensions.
AFGHAN DIALOGUE: Mr Aziz said the Afghan reconciliation dialogue that had stalled after the disclosure about Mullah Omar’s death could resume after the Taliban overcame their succession dispute.
“Once this is settled we’ll try to persuade them to return to the talks,” he said.
As long as the dispute lingered, questions would keep popping up over who should represent Taliban in the dialogue.
He said the first round hosted by Pakistan in Murree on July 7 had been very productive.
About the recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, he said the increasing violence underscored the need for peace talks.
“We have been urging Taliban to talk. …The solution is not in fighting,” he said and added that the negotiations could be held over the Taliban’s demands.
SPEAKERS’ CONFERENCE: Mr Aziz said that about 70pc invitees had confirmed their participation in the speakers’ conference. “We hope that the conference will be held as per schedule and will be well-attended,” he added.
The statement issued by the NA Secretariat said the decision was based on the principled and historic stand of Pakistan that the Jammu and Kashmir issue was on the UN agenda as an unsettled dispute since 1947.
“There are outstanding UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, which call for the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices. The relevant UNSC resolutions rule out any alternative to plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir as a possible disposal of this issue.”
It said the parliament had passed numerous unanimous resolutions calling for the right of self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Our position on this issue as such is rooted in international law and UNSC resolutions.”
The statement was issued by the NA Secretariat following media reports that a meeting of the speakers of Indian provincial and federal assemblies had called on Pakistan’s parliament, as host of the 61st Commonwealth conference, to issue an invitation to the controversial assembly.
The 60th conference, held in October last year in Cameroon, had unanimously elected National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq as president of the CPA and decided to hold the 61st CPC in Islamabad from Sept 30 to Oct 8.
The National Assembly, in consultation with the Senate, has laid out an elaborate plan for hosting the event.
As a result, 115 branches of the total 178 legislatures of the 53 CPA countries, numbering 403 delegates and observers, have registered and confirmed their participation in the conference. This includes 27 of the 32 member assemblies of the Indian region.
Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2015
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