ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday rejected the Indian advice of canceling its National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz’s planned meeting with Kashmiri separatist leaders.
Foreign office spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said in a statement that Kashmir is not a part of India and according to United Nations (UN) resolutions, the territory is disputed.
He added that there is no reason Pakistan will back off from its tradition of meeting the Hurriyat leaders as they are the real representatives of people of Kashmir.
Earlier, Indian Ministry of External Affairs said that it would not be “appropriate” for Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz to meet with Indian Kashmir’s separatist leaders during his visit to India.
Pakistan’s high commissioner to New Delhi had invited those leaders for a meeting with Aziz.
“Such a meeting would not be in keeping with the spirit and intent of the Ufa understanding to jointly work to combat terrorism,” Indian MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a tweet.
