Aziz’s comments came after the proposed talks with his Indian counterpart, scheduled for Monday, collapsed over New Delhi’s objection to the Pakistani NSA’s invitation to Hurriyat leaders for a breakfast meeting.
India has accused Pakistan of going beyond the framework for talks agreed upon by the Prime Ministers of the two countries Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif during their meeting in the Russian city of Ufa last month.
“Modi’s India acts as if they are a regional superpower, we are a nuclear-armed country and we know how to defend ourselves,” Aziz was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.
“India should realise after the current episode that their tactics are not working, and they need to be sincere about dialogue with Pakistan.”
He also asked India to hold a referendum in “occupied Kashmir” and the people would decide their own fate.
Aziz also said that while Pakistan has evidence of India’s involvement in terrorism in his country, New Delhi has just propaganda against Pakistan.
“Propaganda against Pakistan is more important for the Indians, rather than giving us evidence,” Aziz, who is also the adviser to the Prime Minister on foreign affairs, was quoted as saying in the report.
‘Sabotaging talk’
Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, on the other hand, accused India of "sabotaging" the NSA-level talks last week with a "fanatic approach" while showing a "negative attitude" aimed at disrupting peace in the sub-continent, a PTI report said.
Asif was quoted by the state-run Radio Pakistan as saying that the "negative attitude of Modi government was to disrupt peace in the region”.
He added, "India sabotaged the Pak-India talks scheduled to be held in New Delhi today due to its fanatic approach".
He said Pakistan was “serious” in conducting talks with India since that is the “best way to resolve bilateral issues”.
hindustantimes
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