New Delhi’s decision to cancel the Indo-Pakistan Foreign Secretary-level talks following the Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit’s meeting with separatist Hurriyat leaders, has put a question mark over Modi-Sharif talks scheduled during the UN General Assembly in September.
Foreign Secretaries of the two countries were set to meet after a hiatus of two years. While the two diplomats were set to discuss “all outstanding issues,” they were specifically tasked with deciding the agenda for talks between the Prime Ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly summit in September.
While in the past, India has raised objections, but taken no action when Pakistani diplomats and leaders met Kashmiri separatist leaders, sources said Monday’s decision was taken at the “highest political level” by the government.
It came even as Defence Minister Arun Jaitley toured forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) and international borders, criticising Pakistan for “deliberate ceasefire violations”.
