NEW DELHI, India: The Kashmiri separatist leader Shabbir Shah was detained by the Indian police on Saturday as he arrived at New Delhi airport for a planned meeting with Pakistan national security advisor Sartaj Aziz.
It happens as the national security advisors (NSAs)-level talks between Pakistan and India are in jeopardy after New Delhi set pre-conditions for talks, asking Islamabad not to go ahead of its plan of meeting with Hurriyat leaders.
But Pakistan asserted that its security advisor Sartaj Aziz would meet Hurriyat leaders in New Delhi and also regretted the Indian pre-conditions for talks between national security advisors of both the countries.
Meanwhile, the Kashmiri separatist leader Shabbir Shah reached New Delhi today on an invitation by the Pakistan High Commission for talks with Sartaj Aziz on the eve of NSAs-level meeting.
“We won’t back out, will go to Delhi and meet them. It’s important for us to go so that we can seek answers from their side (Pakistan) also,” Shabbir Shah was quoted as saying while leaving his residence for New Delhi by the Indian media.
“We will meet Pakistani NSA Sartaj Aziz ji tomorrow at Pakistan House in the evening. We’ve been going for the last 25 years (to meet Pakistani leaders), be it during NDA regime led by Atal ji or UPA government,” he said adding “peaceful dialogue is the only way to resolve issues”.
Meanwhile, the Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh has advised Pakistan not to deviate from the agenda that had already been set for the NSA-level talks.
“The agenda for Indo-Pak NSA-level talks was agreed upon in Ufa, Pakistan must not deviate from this agenda. We are willing to hold dialogue with Pakistan on issue of terror, only terror,” Rajnath said.
“If talks have to happen, they will only happen only between NSAs and only on terror,” the minister added.
