NEW YORK: Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said in an interview with an Indian TV network that the meeting of Pakistan’s High Commissioner with the Hurriyat leaders in New Delhi ahead of India-Pak secretary level talks last month was “ill-timed”.

But Mr Aziz lamented India’s decision to cancel the foreign secretaries’ level talks and said “now the ball is in India’s court to come up with a date”.

“The timing of the meeting between Pakistan High Commissioner to India and the Hurriyat leaders was not right and it could have been avoided.

“The newly-elected leaders of both the countries missed an opportunity of starting a dialogue,” Mr Aziz said.

However, he insisted that Pakistan could not ignore Hurriyat and said that talks between Indian and Pakistan foreign secretaries “should not have been cancelled as the issue was not that big”.

“Kashmiri leaders have been meeting us because the Kashmir is one of the issues which are to be discussed. Dialogue with Hurriyat leaders has been a regular practise since last 20-30 years.”

He further said: “We were upset after India cancelled the talks. Talks are the only way forward for us. Now, the ball is in India’s court to come up with a date.”

Published in Dawn, September 29th , 2014