Talks with Sartaj Aziz in Amritsar uncertain

New Delhi: India said on Thursday that Pakistan should focus on ending state-sponsored terrorism instead of making baseless allegations, in a sharp reaction to reports that Islamabad is forming a special group for propaganda on Kashmir.

India’s comment came after Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan PM's advisor on foreign affairs, reportedly talked about wooing Indians opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India also did not “rule in” or “rule out” any bilateral meeting with Mr Aziz, who will be attending the Heart of Asia (HoA) conference in Amritsar next month.

MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, “Our position on talks is very clear from thebeginning. We are for a dialogue with Pakistan. But talks and terror cannot happen  together. It is incumbent on Pakistan to create the necessary environment.”

It was, however, confirmed that external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will not attend the event slated in the first week of December, as she is battling renal failure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will inaugurate the conference where a senior minister is likely to be deputed in place of Ms. Swaraj.

Mr Aziz’s participation in the event was confirmed even as India launched on Wednesday a massive counter-offensive against Pakistan along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, a sharp escalation triggered by the mutilation of a jawan’s body a day earlier.

"He (Mr. Aziz) would be well advised to rather woo Pakistanis to end his government's policy of state sponsorship of terrorism ... Pakistan's efforts have not gathered any traction on the international stage. Pakistan would be well advised to focus its energies on stemming the rot of terrorism instead of expending its breath in making baseless allegations," the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said.

Last evening, the MEA called in Pakistan’s deputy high commissioner and issued a demarche, the 4th one this month on continued ceasefire violations.

The MEA said Pakistani committed 27 ceasefire violations during November 16-21 by resorting to artillery and heavy mortars against Indian posts, and that New Delhi informed Islamabad that it (India) strongly deplored the tacit support of the Pakistan Army to armed terrorists who targeted an Indian patrol on Tuesday.

Tension between the two South Asian neighbours and fatal border skirmishes involving the facing troops rose after 19 Indian soldiers were killed in a deadly terror attack on an Army base in Uri in September 18, prompting India to launch a global diplomatic offensive, and carry out anti-terror surgical strikes across the LoC.

The active hostilities have claimed scores of civilian lives. Reports said that hundreds of families have been fleeing homes and relocating to safer places to escape border skirmishes. Local political groups and human rights activists have expressed concern over increasing civilian casualties.