New Delhi: In a major admission, India confirmed on Thursday that national security adviser Ajit Doval had indeed met his Pakistani counterpart Lt. Gen. Nasser Khan Janjua (Retd) recently but justified the meeting, saying that while “terror and talks cannot go together”, “talks on terror can definitely go ahead”. The meeting is learnt to have taken place in Bangkok on December 26. The external affairs ministry said: “The focus of the talks was on terror, cross-border terrorism”. MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar said: “I am saying that talks have taken place on how to eliminate the scourge of terrorism from this region,” adding India “raised (the issue of) cross-border terrorism in these talks”.
The MEA said the talks were part of “operational-level talks”. “India and Pakistan have a dialogue process and we have said terror and talks cannot go together. However, there are other dialogue mechanisms like at the DGMO level or between the BSF and Pakistan Rangers. Similarly, the NSA-level engagement is part of operational-level talks. We have said terror and talks cannot go together, but talks on terror can definitely go ahead,” the MEA spokesman said, adding that such operational-level talks are “not announced”.
Nevertheless, the talks indicate that New Delhi — while realising the reality of the Pakistan Army and ISI actively sponsoring terror in India — are also in favour of continuing some sort of engagement quietly with Pakistan. The very fact that the two NSAs had to meet in Bangkok bears testimony to this. Also, observers feel that the views of the Pakistan NSA would indicate in some way what the Pakistan Army wants to be conveyed to India.
The meeting also took place just one day after the wife and mother of imprisoned former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav had met him in Islamabad. When asked whether the treatment meted out to Jadhav’s wife and mother was raised at the meeting by the Indian NSA, the MEA spokesman said the NSAs’ talks had focused on terror. Jadhav has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and sabotage, allegations which India has categorically rejected. However, New Delhi appears to be painfully aware that ultimately Jadhav’s fate will be decided by the Pakistani Army chief.
