News
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Khar meet with APHC has soured talks: Rao
NEW DELHI: India’s foreign secretary voiced concern on Wednesday about the Pakistani foreign minister’s decision to meet Kashmiri leaders a day before peace talks with her Indian counterpart.
Despite an upbeat assessment of the talks by the Indian foreign minister SM Krishna, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said Tuesday’s meeting between Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and a Kashmiri leader illustrated the divergence between the two countries. “We have a very different point of view from Pakistan on that particular event (the meeting) and we have expressed our concerns in a frank and candid manner to the Pakistan side,” Rao told reporters.
Hina, after arriving in New Delhi on Tuesday afternoon, met Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and other leaders of Indian-held Kashmir (IHK). Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir told reporters on Wednesday not to read too much into the meeting between Hina and the Kashmiri leaders.
“This matter of the meeting yesterday cannot be construed in any manner including intentionally or by design to cast any shadow on today’s talks,” he said. “I think we should not read more into it.” Geelani’s aide, Ayaz Akbar, told AFP that the Kashmiri leader urged Hina not to take any step in haste which would be against the sentiments and aspirations of Kashmiris. afp
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk