Pak’s Kashmir talk riles India, meet off

Bilateral talks that were expected between India and Pakistan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) have been called off, with India blaming Pakistan for making “unacceptable remarks” on Kashmir.

Bilateral talks that were expected between India and Pakistan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) have been called off, with India blaming Pakistan for making “unacceptable remarks” on Kashmir.

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Though External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said India was still “determined to persevere in our dialogue with Pakistan” during his speech at Asia Society in New York on Tuesday -- curiously, the same forum at which Pakistan Foreign Minister S.M. Qureshi first raked up Kashmir last week -- Pakistan’s statements had made it very difficult to hold talks immediately afterwards, said Indian officials.

Not content with his stateme-nts at the Asia Society, Qureshi went on to discuss Kashmir during his UN general assembly speech too, saying the “dispute” was “about the exercise of the right of self-determination by Kashmiris”. He even repeated the age-old Pakistani demand for a plebiscite in the state under UN supervision.

Soon after the speech, Krishna made it clear the talks in New York had been cancelled. “It is not on the cards,” he said.

“The atmosphere was vitiated by Pakistan making unacceptable remarks in the United Nations General Assembly and related forums,” said an Indian official, refusing to be named.

In response, Krishna too attacked Pakistan over Kashmir, saying the present unrest was due to the “provocation and encouragement” from across the border.

India also called for “firm and expeditious action on the Mumbai terrorist attack” saying that would be the “biggest CBM (confidence building measure)”.