Talks between India and Pakistan waiting for Kashmir centric measures say media report
By: Tariq Shah VOV
Srinagar
According to the latest report of Al Jazeera India and Pakistan are willing to start a formal dialogue but the Kashmir centric measures being pushed by Islamabad before any engagement is delaying the process.
The report said that Islamabad is willing to move forward provided New Delhi will take some specified steps to ease lives in Kashmir. Quoting senior Pakistani official sources, the report said that Islamabad is waiting for some political steps taken in Kashmir, before going for any forward dialogue.
“Pakistan is genuinely standing with the Kashmir cause, of course the territory is an internationally recognised dispute, but the first thing we have to do is make sure Kashmiri lives are eased,” Al Jazeera quoting a Pakistani official source said in its report.
It said that Pakistan wants a halt to all the laws introduced in Jammu and Kashmir post abrogation of article 370, release of political prisoners and restoration of statehood rights to the people of Kashmir.
However, Al Jazeera reports have claimed that Pakistan is not demanding restoration of article 370, revoked by parliament on August 5, 2019.
“Whether they bring 370 [back] or not … just tell us is the Kashmiri identity intact?” Al Jazeera quoted a Pakistani official source.
While talking to Strategist of defence research Al Jazeera quoted one of them saying, “The fact that Article 370 is not prominent in the current Pakistani thinking indicates to me that the government of Pakistan understands what India can and can’t do”.
The report said that India is pushing for halt to cross border terrorism and stopping of aid to the new militant groups like TRF.
However Pakistani officials have told Al Jazeera that they are not excited by the recent informal engagement and are treading cautiously.
“We are very sincerely testing out whether they genuinely want to talk about Kashmir” Al Jazeera quoted a Pakistani official saying so.
