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Today's Paper | August 06, 2020

ISLAMABAD: Pursuant to the recently-held meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Paris climate summit, the National Security Advisers of both countries, accompanied by the Foreign Secretaries, met in Bangkok today.

Guided by the vision of the two leaders for a peaceful, stable and prosperous South Asia, discussions were held in a candid, cordial and constructive atmosphere.

Read: Nawaz, Modi meet on sidelines of Paris climate summit

Topics discussed during the talks included peace and security, terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, and other issues, including tranquility along the Line of Control.

It was also agreed that the constructive engagement will be carried forward.

Read editorial: India-Pakistan spectacle

Earlier, security adviser level talks between India and Pakistan, scheduled for August 23 and 24, were canceled as both nations reached a deadlock over Pakistan's insistence to hold a meeting with Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders in New Delhi on August 23 despite India’s ‘advice’ to the contrary.

Pakistan on August 22 said that it had come to the conclusion that the proposed National Security Adviser (NSA) level talks between Pakistan and India would not serve any purpose if conducted on the basis of the two conditions laid down by Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Sawaraj.

The Indian foreign minister had earlier said in a presser that India had made clear on August 18 that the scheduled meeting between national security advisers will only discuss issues related to terrorism.

"No other topic will come under discussion," she said, adding that all outstanding issues including Kashmir are part of the composite dialogue between the two countries which had not yet resumed.

Sawaraj had also said India did not recognise a third party in talks with Pakistan, referring to Pakistan's invitation to Hurriyat leaders for a meeting in Delhi.

The announcement comes hours before NSA Sartaj Aziz was to leave for India on August 23.

Also read: NSA talks were doomed, but why?

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Comments (48) Closed

Yogesh

Dec 06, 2015 05:58pm

Good initiative by both PM. They really means business. Keep it up.

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Imran Soomro

Dec 06, 2015 06:05pm

Better late than never. This adage does not fit Indo-Pak ties. In the case of these two countries, more delay would create more problems and complications. However, this recent meeting indicates positivity and rapprochement. Keep it up.

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Zak

Dec 06, 2015 06:08pm

India has no choice but to grant freedom to Kashmir as Kashmiris in their millions are now marching towards absolute freedom from occupation, India has no choice but to accept their wishes and avoid loss of lives of their army men and exorbitant costs accompanied by such an occupation.

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jyotib

Dec 06, 2015 06:11pm

Good thinking by the two leaders away from the pressures of domestic media. I hope they continue talking and get the peace dividend.

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Gokarn

Dec 06, 2015 06:15pm

Encouraging development.

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taimoor khan

Dec 06, 2015 06:21pm

@Imran Soomro India has no choice but to offer talks on Kashmir, Kashmiri freedom struggle has reached its zenith and India can no longer stop the determination of Kashmiris from achieving complete freedom and driving occupying forces out of Kashmir.

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sonny afridi

Dec 06, 2015 06:32pm

70 yrs of struggle for freedom and we are now at the threshold of achieving success and Kashmiris will be free at last, thanks to all the Kashmiris who walked together hand in hand driving the Indian army back to their barracks ,unable to control the huge crowd now in their millions India has to grant freedom or face total annihilation at the hands of Kashmiris.

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Khan

Dec 06, 2015 06:35pm

Both of them need to build trust first by carrying out similar agreements before talking about the big ones. We should not have insisted on including others if it was not ok with them and just focused on the main agenda.

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sana

Dec 06, 2015 06:35pm

Reality has dawned on India that it can no longer keep Kashmir under shackles ,Kashmiris are now no longer ambiguous about freedom and are now demanding complete freedom and India has no choice but to obey .

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Kazim Reza

Dec 06, 2015 06:40pm

Sharif-Modi talks then follow ups.Does it mean exception?

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naxalite

Dec 06, 2015 06:45pm

India should act mature and stop wasting its tax payers money to control Kashmir movement, also it should open its heart and think about lives of kashmiris that are lost unnecessarily due to India's haughtiness, India should prove it is a true democracy and grant the wishes of Kashmiris , who demand absolute freedom and nothing else.

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Arslan

Dec 06, 2015 06:54pm

And India gained what by earlier decision to cancel talks considering J&K was discussed in these talk? India's earlier stance was all domestic politics driven then, clearly.

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Sam

Dec 06, 2015 06:55pm

Looks like better sense has prevailed. India has not insisted on discussing only Terrorism and Pakistan has not insisted on consulting with Huriyat. Neither side has made any noise about the meeting and have gone about it as a 'matter of fact' business meeting which is good. You can only play for the gallery for so long and that will not produce any real results.

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M. Siddique

Dec 06, 2015 06:57pm

Peace is in the interest of both countries. It will help the people of both countries to prosper and get out of poverty. People to people contacts are essential. Let us start with cricket.

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el cid

Dec 06, 2015 07:04pm

Talks are futile if it does not achieve results in a quick time frame and for us results means free kashmir ,siachen and others.

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M.Saeed

Dec 06, 2015 07:10pm

The struggle of Kashmiris is unstoppable movement against the Indian playing double standard and forced occupation of a vast majority Muslim Sate, against all agreements and based upon forged documentations of allegiance purported to have been signed by the Maharajah of Kashmir.

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Lockhorn

Dec 06, 2015 07:17pm

Let's not get carried away. This is just the first discussion. It will be a long time before any meaningful steps are taken, assuming that in the meantime the vested interests in both countries do not hijack the progress. This hot and cold relationship needs to be handled with patience and care.

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Suhail Akhtar

Dec 06, 2015 07:23pm

Finally. Let us have such meetings in our respective countries. Also, like now, let us not publicise such meetings. If not anyone the media will do its best to scuttle such constructive meetings.

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Khan- Pakistani

Dec 06, 2015 08:43pm

There can not be a peace in South Asia unless and until India comes out of Pre-Partition mentality. India has to accept Pakistan and move on !

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Raja Hindustani

Dec 06, 2015 09:10pm

@Zak : Bro, stop fooling yourself. You and me both knows that changing status quo on Line of control in kashmir is impossible from both side. Better accept LoC as permanent border; it will save defense expenditure for both countries.

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Khan- Pakistani

Dec 06, 2015 09:33pm

There can not be a peace in South Asia until and unless India comes out its occupation mentality . It needs to accept that Kashmir is an issue and the wishes of Kashmiris should be accepted and a lasting solution implemented to Kashmir . No solution lies with Pakistan and India but Kashmiris are the deciders and implementators . Kashmiris include both living in Azad and occupied Kashmiris.

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ailly

Dec 06, 2015 10:16pm

and why NSA met in bagkok........... if both are scared of certain elements back in their countries, who may oppose such a sitting or meeting, then this meeting is meaning less.

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Rajendra Tiwari

Dec 06, 2015 10:35pm

Continue back door diplomacy than holding formal meetings to resolve Kashmir and other issues between India and Pakistan. It may work!

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auginpk

Dec 06, 2015 10:35pm

This is a nano step. Nothing more than that.

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Khan

Dec 06, 2015 11:25pm

Patiently awaiting Imran Khans outburst of useless criticism.

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bhola

Dec 06, 2015 11:27pm

now India has only one intention, that is to take control of pak occupied Kashmir, that's why all the discussion.

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??????

Dec 06, 2015 11:42pm

good very good

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Zak

Dec 07, 2015 12:49am

@Raja Hindustani one foreign Indian hindu dictating to the entire nation of kashmir. Kashmiris will decide their future no one else. Indian govt knows it, that's why the acceptance of kashmir as topic for discussion.

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Zak

Dec 07, 2015 12:51am

Kashmir back on the table- india could have avoided the drama and humiliation.

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Growup

Dec 07, 2015 01:57am

@Zak there should be a specific unrecommended option for your comments.. for once be realistic and get over your obsession.

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Supriya Sule

Dec 07, 2015 02:36am

@Zak In the state of Jammu & Kashmir there are over 5 million hindus, there are 1/2 million Kashmiri Pundits hindus alone, the original Kashmiris. You need education else you will be making incorrect statemnts.

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Sachin

Dec 07, 2015 02:44am

Kashmiris have full faith in their current democratically elected leadership of Mufti Syed-current CM of J&K . The two main political parties in J&K are lead by Mufti Syed and Omar Abdullah and both have been popular elected leaders and wish to remain part of India with full autonomy.

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Sai

Dec 07, 2015 02:46am

A perfect recipe to solve the problems that plagued or two nations for generations. Two business oriented Prime Ministers and two hardcore NSA's one of whom speaks directly to the military. This is a chance of a lifetime to bee able to speak to both power holders at the same time. I wish this talks all success that our two countries truly deserve.

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ajay

Dec 07, 2015 03:06am

no humiliation is going on.

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Rick_james

Dec 07, 2015 03:47am

Well done Pakistan. We will support our Kashmiri brothers and sisters all the way.

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GNR

Dec 07, 2015 03:54am

@zak you should be in the political arena. Every comment no matter what is about Kashmir. Ground reality is different.

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Madan

Dec 07, 2015 04:06am

A good first step indeed.For general public in India and Pakistan,I describe this meeting as a bolt from the blue.

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schal

Dec 07, 2015 04:51am

@Zak However, there is a choice for you to be a little positive. Why do you always deny it for yourself?

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Ameer

Dec 07, 2015 04:53am

Clever move by Modi to avoid meetings of Our NSA and Hurriet separatists

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original realist

Dec 07, 2015 05:17am

If they do not talk, some friends want us to expect no talks till Modi is around; if they talk, these friends say India did not have choice anyway...

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rajeev

Dec 07, 2015 05:18am

@Zak Please show maturity. These one sided thoughts destroy talks nd environment. Let us the people of both India and Pakistan also positively contribute to make progress. Can we start an initiative. through dawn where each pakistani and each Indian dawn reader make a buddy from each others country and just try to see if we can throw negativity and become friends. Dawn, can you support this? We all need to throw this negativity for each other which has no place in modern world.

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original realist

Dec 07, 2015 05:21am

@ailly NSAs were worried about fringe elements in media of both countries.

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original realist

Dec 07, 2015 05:25am

@Zak Kashmir was not off the table earlier, too. It was about sequencing...

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Tariq

Dec 07, 2015 05:56am

No more wars please, let us work for the betterment for the poor masses.

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Flip flopper

Dec 07, 2015 06:21am

By nature Pakistanis are more day dreamers than Indians. Indians are more day dreamers than the Western countries. On the contrary, Chinese have no dream-only reality.

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MMM

Dec 07, 2015 06:42am

I hope we can live like USA and Canada and hopefully when I go to India, I dont have to report to a police station and vice versa.

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Surinder Kade

Dec 07, 2015 06:50am

Grand independence to Kashmir have western powers turn it into their base and staging area

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dipak

Dec 07, 2015 07:14am

meeting focusing ufa declaration. terrirism only.proofs with dosiers are handed over to govt. and also to the whole world which cannot be deny. no dosiers given to india, why ?

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