NEW DELHI, Dec 6: In a sudden breakthrough in the stalled Indo-Pak dialogue, the National Security Advisors of the two countries met for four hours in Bangkok today and discussed terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, and other bilateral issues and agreed to take forward the “constructive” engagement.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Nasir Janjua, their Foreign Secretaries S Jaishankar and Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry held their marathon meeting in the Thai capital, barely six days after their Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif held a brief meeting in Paris obviously with a view to revive the stalled dialogue process.
A joint statement, issued after the meeting said, “Pursuant to the meeting of the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan in Paris, the NSAs, accompanied by the Foreign Secretaries, met in Bangkok today.
“Discussions were held in a candid, cordial and constructive atmosphere. They were guided by the vision of the two leaders for a peaceful, stable and prosperous South Asia.
“Discussions covered peace and security, terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, and other issues, including tranquility along the LoC. It was agreed to carry forward the constructive engagement.”
The choice of a neutral third country venue for the NSAs meeting may have been prompted by a desire to avoid a repeat of the events that led to the cancellation of a visit by the then NSA Sartaj Aziz to New Delhi for talks.
Pakistan had called-off the visit after New Delhi had made it clear that Aziz would not be allowed to meet Kashmiri separatist leaders in the Indian capital.
For the record, Indian sources said Bangkok had been chosen because of the “convenience” of both the sides. As Foreign Secretary was already in Tokyo in connection with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to India and Pakistani side was also travelling, it was decided to meet in Bangkok due to the “convenience” of the two sides, sources said.
The Bangkok meeting also paves the way for a visit by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Islamabad this week to attend a multilateral conference on Afghanistan.
Today’s breakthrough clearly indicates that Modi-Sharif meeting in Paris was more than a sudden encounter and “exchange of courtesies” as had been claimed by the Indian side although Sharif had told Pakistani media that he had a “good meeting” and “doors of dialogue should open”.
The decision of the NSAs to take forward the “constructive” engagement also clearly suggest that they may have worked out a roadmap for resumption of the stalled bilateral dialogue, the details of which may emerge after Swaraj’s likely trip to Pakistan.
Congress today termed the secret meeting of National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan in Bangkok as a “grand betrayal” of the Modi Government and reflection of “flip-flops” over its Pakistan policy.
“It’s a grand betrayal. It’s a betrayal of everything that this Government has ostensibly, publicly espoused,” Congress leader Manish Tewari said.
Asked about the meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Nasir Janjua in Bangkok, Tewari said this is absolutely “crowning glory” after two sides had engaged in mutual blame game earlier resulting in cancellation of talks.
“If you look at the track record of this Government over the past 18 months, their Pakistan policy has been an extravaganza, a somersault, flip-flops and 180-degree U-turns and this is absolutely the crowning glory,” he said.
After the verbal calisthenics that one witnessed between the foreign minister and the then NSA of Pakistan Sartaz Aziz, now suddenly without any provocation, without explaining to the country as to what has changed between September, 2015 and December 2015, the Government decides to re-engage and that too in Bangkok, he said.
Tewari said if the talks were so essential, Government should have explained the rationale behind it and held it either in New Delhi or Islamabad.
“If you felt that engagement with Pakistan is so essential, then the correct way to do it would be to stand up, explain the rationale and say that we have been making mistake after mistake in calling off the engagement with Pakistan and therefore, we are now going to persist with the broad spectrum engagement ,” he said.
On its part, BJP supported the NSA talks saying that it was in the spirit of Ufa statement by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif.
“The spirit of the Ufa statement is exactly what we are seeing in play here…We have seen that the last two opportunities have not been translated into direct talks. The first between the foreign secretaries and the second one being just after Ufa between the NSAs, that got cancelled out. So, I think we need to see it in that context,” BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said.
Kohli said the talks were held in Bangkok to avoid the media attention and the excitement that Indo-Pak relationship generates.
“Indo-Pak relationship is subject to an ultra-microscopic approach in terms of the excitement it generates within a whole segment, including the media so perhaps that may be a reason,” he said.
Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah welcomed the talks, saying holding them away from media glare can lead to “quiet progress”.
“Good to see India and Pakistan resume the dialogue process,” Omar wrote on microblogging site twitter.
“Perhaps this is the way quiet progress will be made away from each other’s capitals and the glare of media driven expectations,” he tweeted. (PTI)
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