Government Says NSA-Level Talks to Focus on Terror Only

Defending it’s stance to continue NSA-level talks with Pakistan, government says the talks will focus on terror only

Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad (Source: Reuters) 

The government has decided not to call off the India-Pakistan NSA-level talks, and has defended itself by saying that the meeting will focus only on the issue of terror and it’s prevention.

This meeting is for talks on terror and the need to prevent it.
— Ravi Shankar Prasad, Telecom Minister

When asked to respond to the Pakistan High Commissioner’s decision to invite separatist leaders ahead of the NSA-level talks between the two countries, Prasad said:

I would just like to remind that the agenda of the meeting was settled at the Ufa meeting between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif. The first was the meeting between NSAs to talk on terror, including the exchange of voice samples of 26/11 (Mumbai terror attacks).
— Ravi Shankar Prasad, Telecom Minister

He also added that a structured briefing would come from the Ministry of External Affairs. He refused to comment on the “policing exercise” of the Jammu and Kashmir government.

Backing Rahul Gandhi’s decision to visit Poonch amid ceasefire violations, he said that the Congress leader was free to travel anywhere in the country.

A discussion on his (Rahul’s) understanding of foreign policy can be held at a later date.
— Ravi Shankar Prasad, Telecom Minister

(With inputs from PTI)