Congress today accused the government of having “no roadmap” on engagement with Pakistan and said it was making “abrupt policy statements”.
The party also sought to brush aside Pakistan High Commissioner’s invitation to Hurriyat leaders for consultations around the time of the NSA-level talks in Delhi this weekend, saying the people of the state have rejected the separatists.
“There is no roadmap. There is no vision on engagement with Pakistan.There are complex issues and challenges. There are abrupt policy statements (on dealing with Pakistan). (Talks) On today. Off tomorrow,” Congress leader Anand Sharma told a press conference.
He was reacting to a question about the proposed talks that have come under criticism from even former External Affairs Minister and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha.
On the Pakistan High Commissioner’s invitation to Kashmiri separatists, Sharma said, “What are the talks about. They (separatists) are one of the actors in the state. Let’s not give them undue importance. They are not respecting unity and integrity of the country and Constitution of India. There is an elected government in J&K.
“People have spoken more than once (through elections). Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and this issue is non-negotiable,” he said.
Sharma insisted that only Prime Minister Narendra Modi could say what assurances he had got from his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif at Ufa which prompted him to have NSA-level talks.