According to the reports from External Affairs Ministry, India called off the meeting between India’s External Minister Sushma Swaraj with her Pakistani counterpart Mr Qureshi, Foreign Minister in New York. Yesterday, Indian Foreign Ministry responded to Prime Minister Khan’s letter by accepting the request on talks between Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of the ongoing annual U.N General Assembly session in New York.
According to today’s press report from MEA, the meeting has been called off from the Indian counterparts for two main reasons. First, because of the brutal killing of Indian security personnel and second, the release of 20 postage stamps by Pakistan glorifying a terrorist and terrorism confirms that Pakistan will not mend its ways.
Earlier today, terrorists shot dead three policemen after abducting them from Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir. A Twitter handle purportedly belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen group has claimed responsibility for the abduction and killing.
A press release from the MEA said, “Since yesterday’s announcement of a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan in New York later this month, two deeply disturbing developments have taken place. The latest brutal killings of our security personnel by Pakistan-based entities and the recent release of a series of 20 postage stamps by Pakistan glorifying a terrorist and terrorism confirm that Pakistan will not mend its ways.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had proposed talks between the two Ministers. “The decision to agree to Pakistan’s proposal for a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries in New York later this month was in response to the spirit reflected in the letters from the new Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan. The letter from the Prime Minister of Pakistan had spoken of, inter alia bringing a positive change and mutual desire for peace as also readiness to discuss terrorism,” said the release.
An MEA spokesman said, “The latest killing of Indian security personnel and release of 20 postage stamps confirms that Pakistan will not mend its ways. ‘Devil agenda’ of Pakistan stands exposed and true face of new Pak PM has been revealed. Any conversation with Pakistan in such an environment would be meaningless.”