Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq, chairman of the moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference, and hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Tuesday described the Narendra Modi government's decision to call off foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan as an unfortunate 'knee-jerk reaction'.
Pakistan may raise the demand for demilitarisation in Jammu and Kashmir, but India is clear that such a step can be taken only when terrorism ends in the state.
At the two-day talks officials from both sides will discuss technical details and modalities.
India and Pakistan simultaneously announced the dates for talks on confidence building measures.
The Indian delegation will comprise officials from the ministries of external affairs, road transport and highways and the Rajasthan government.
The US has made it clear that it is not directly involved in talks between India and Pakistan, but encourages them to resume their peace dialogue, even as it said it wants Islamabad to rein in terror outfits like the Lashkar-e-Tayiba.
Pakistan has offered to India to host technical-level talks on the Khokhrapar-Munabao bus service on March 8 to 9 and Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service in March 29 and 30.
The army chief's comments on Wednesday, at the Raisina Dialogue, on engaging with Taliban were first such public remarks by a senior functionary of the government.
Pakistan had earlier moved the World Bank for appointment of neutral experts but India has insisted on solving the issue bilaterally.
The talks will be held in Islamabad, sources told PTI in Delhi on Monday after a meeting between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri.
The statement of the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office comes on the heels of India issuing a notice to Pakistan seeking a review and modification of the IWT in view of Islamabad's "intransigence" in complying with the dispute redressal mechanism of the pact that was inked over six decades ago for sharing of waters of cross-border rivers.
Pakistan is expected to seek the firming up of confidence-building measures during the upcoming foreign secretary-level talks with India to pave the way for progress in addressing long-standing issues like Kashmir, diplomatic sources said on Thursday.
Indian and Pakistani officials held technical-level talks near Islamabad on Friday to work out modalities for conducting a second joint survey of the Sir Creek area.
Almost all the leading newspapers reported little progress on the talks between New Delhi and Islamabad, that concluded with the signing of a key agreement for consular access to prisoners. In its front-page report, leading English daily the Dawn said that "Qureshi, Mukherjee made little progress -- Pakistan offers grand reconciliation."
Pakistan and Iran are holding three-day talks in Islamabad on the multi-billion dollar Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project though India is not participating in the parleys as differences on some key issues remain to be settled.
Indian spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Tuesday offered to hold talks with the Taliban to usher in peace in the region, saying it would help foster understanding among people with divergent views.
The United States has said it supports a direct dialogue between India and Pakistan as outlined in the Shimla Agreement
After the cancellation of National Security Advisor-level talks, proposed meetings between top military officials of India and Pakistan are now unlikely, a media report said on Monday.
Pakistan has invited India for a meeting to discuss the appointment of neutral experts for the controversial Kishanganga hydel power project.The meeting is scheduled to take place on July 13 in Islamabad. Both India and Pakistan have agreed on international arbitration over the controversial project in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir.However, if the two countries fail to reach a consensus during the talks, the experts will be decided by a draw of lots by World Bank,UN
Indian officials in Islamabad on Saturday said that defence officials, including the hydrographers who took part in the joint survey that was completed in January, would meet on May 17-18 to work out a solution.
'But he was very quick and did a very stylish adab.' 'Of course, I didn't expect him to hug.'
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has applauded the Indo-Pak leadership for reviving peace talks despite opposition to it in their countries, while ruling out mediation on the issue of Kashmir.
The idea of weaponization got a fillip from an unexpected quarter. In the last week of October 1985, Rajiv met US President Ronald Reagan. Reagan told Rajiv, 'Pakistan has already made a bomb.' When Rajiv started talking about disarmament, the US president cut him short, 'Don't talk theory, think of your own protection.'
The Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh are and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India, the MEA said.
Taking potshots at the Congress-led UPA government for initiating talks with Pakistan, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha on Monday said he does not have any hopes from the Brigade Commander-level flag meeting between the two sides, and added that New Delhi should reply in kind to the inhuman actions of Islamabad.
If the talks fail to move forward -- as is most likely -- India has retained the option of unleashing a disproportionate response in the coming weeks on the border, reveals Nitin A Gokhale.
India has called off foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan next week sending a blunt message that it was interfering in India's internal affairs by holding talks with Kashmiri separatists.
New Delhi also conveyed to Islamabad its readiness to have a meeting of the Committee on Drug trafficking and Smuggling on June 15 and 16.\n\n
Swarup said India looks forward to the prompt and decisive action promised by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his counterpart Narendra Modi.
During the much awaited talks later this week, India should discreetly flag its concerns so that a greater political maturity on both sides facilitates a discussion on sensitive issues, says B Raman
The Ministry of External Affairs made this announcement following appointment of high commissioners and talks on resumption of the Delhi-Lahore bus service.
Asking the government to explore all options against Pakistan and immediately stop all bilateral engagements, including 'illusionary peace and trade talks', the main opposition Bhartiya Janata Party on Wednesday lambasted Islamabad for "patent falsehood" and continuing to be in a state of "total denial" that the conspiracy about Mumbai terrorist attacks did not emanate from its soil.
Sinha said there has been an increase in terror... not only the incident in Udhampur and Gurdaspur there has been a spate of terror attacks and even today there have been terror attacks in which policemen have been killed.
Marking their second meeting in four months, foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan will hold two-day talks in Islamabad from June 23. The Indian side is expected to press for effective action against those behind the 26/11 attacks, including elements in the Inter-Services Intelligence.
