India calls off talks with Pakistan in New York

India on Friday called off the meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi in New York, citing the “brutal” killing of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the release of postal stamps glorifying Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.

Reacting strongly, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said talks with Pakistan in such an environment would be “meaningless”.

“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,” said Kumar.

He noted that “two deeply disturbing developments have taken place” since Thursday’s announcement of a meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan in New York later this month.

“In view of the changed situation, there will be no meeting between the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan in New York,” he said.

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 MEA in a statement.

Now, it is obvious that behind Pakistan’s proposal for talks to make a fresh beginning, the evil agenda of Pakistan stands exposed and the true face of the new Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has been revealed to the world in his first few months in office. Any conversation with Pakistan in such an environment would be meaningless, said the MEA.