INDIAN PAKISTANI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISERS MEET ISLAMABAD

INDIAN PAKISTANI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISERS MEET ISLAMABAD:

6 DECEMBER 2015

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. 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.

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.