India links talks resumption to Pathankot probe

NEW DELHI: India on Friday implicitly ruled out formal talks with Pakistan till Islamabad finishes its probe into the Pathankot airbase attack, local reports said.

They quoted India’s foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup as saying that Delhi had never ever shied away from engaging with Islamabad.

“India is prepared to discuss all outstanding issues with Pakistan bilaterally in an atmosphere, which is free from terror and violence,” Mr Swarup told reporters.

He said that Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar was prepared to hold discussion “on modality of the comprehensive bilateral dialogue with Pakistan” in January, but after the Pathankot airbase attack, India is now waiting for Pakistan to complete their probe.

On Wednesday, Adviser to the PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said India was shying away from talks as it “knows that it has to discuss Kashmir and other issues”. Media reports said Mr Swarup’s remarks were a reply to Mr Aziz’s comments.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2016

No evidence of Pakistan's involvement in Pathankot attack: Indian NIA chief

India stalling dialogue to avoid negotiation on Kashmir: Aziz

Pathankot and power plays

Comments (14) Closed

Rohit

Jul 02, 2016 01:15pm

Denials and deflections will not work.

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Ahmed bin Babar

Jul 02, 2016 01:52pm

The dialogue is meant to resolve the outstanding mutual issues and prevent the acts of non state actors, the remedies come through talks not through boycotts...

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Harmony-1©

Jul 02, 2016 01:59pm

@Ahmed bin Babar - Exactly!

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Namo

Jul 02, 2016 04:03pm

Can't be sure that we will get any conclusive answers in return.

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M. Siddique

Jul 02, 2016 04:44pm

Indian probe earlier concluded that there is no link between Pathankot and Pakistan. What is the fuss now? Is India fabricating excuses now? Pakistan should also say as long as Kashmir is not on the agenda, no talks.

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Khilari

Jul 02, 2016 06:40pm

That's ok.we know India is not serious in dialogue and will keep coming up with excuses not to do so.

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Mohit (US)

Jul 02, 2016 08:01pm

@Ahmed bin Babar : how do you suggest talks will stop next attack by non state actors? Unless Pak shows the intent to curb these non state actors, what is the point in talking?

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Nitin G

Jul 02, 2016 08:04pm

When two people want a same piece of land, there is no way out. Whether its two brothers or two nations. There cannot be a solution to Kashmir as both countries claim it. (Leave aside bogus claim that Kashmiris want independence from both countries). Now, there are two ways to address this...first is to keep fighting forever or start developing better relations.

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Harmony-1©

Jul 02, 2016 08:23pm

@Mohit (US) - Why do you let them in your country?

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Ahmed bin Babar

Jul 02, 2016 08:53pm

@Mohit (US) We live and let live but not on your terms...

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Neeraj

Jul 03, 2016 06:26am

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Harmony-1©

Jul 03, 2016 02:21pm

@Neeraj - The likes of you can never understand the logic in @Ahmed bin Babar comment.

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Rizwan Khan

Jul 04, 2016 04:16am

@NITIN G, Kashmir is neither a piece of land, or a bone. It is the ideological principle of self determination, stating from partition. Once you get that the solution is simple. If you think that it it is not applicable in modern day scenarios then allow an independent body to conduct a referendum, ie INEXIT

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Kulbhushan Yadav

Jul 05, 2016 03:16am

@Rizwan Khan Pakistanis do not have any clue about Kashmir issue. One would hoped that new generation of Pakistan could have gained some understanding by reading global literature on the issue instead of just fringe of imagination from Pakistani establishment but comment like yours really dashed all hopes whatsoever from Pakistani youth.

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