Srinagar, Aug 19 : Track-II diplomat former chief of India’s premier intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Amar Singh Dulat Tuesday maintained that BJP led government at New Delhi has ‘forgotten’ Vajpayee’s Kashmir policy and the meeting of separatists with the Pak high commissioner was a non- issue.
Dulat, who also served as advisor on Kashmir to then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said that the separatists have been meeting the Pakistan officials since the tenure of then Prime Minister Narsima Rao and that it was no issue if at present they had a scheduled meet with Pakistan High Commission at New Delhi. “To me, the meeting with the separatists was a non-issue and I believe that talks are the only way ahead that could resolve the issues between the two countries. I hope that talks will be resumed.â€
The former RAW chief maintained that the BJP- led government had undermined and forgotten the policies of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and that the former Prime Minister had a firm policy on Kashmir. “â€I have already said it that had Vajpayee been the Prime Minister, Afzal Guru would not have been hanged. He always strived to extend the hand of friendship towards Pakistanâ€
However, Dulat was quick to add that the separatists must not express negativity over calling off the talks and that it is the high time for Kashmir’s separatist camp that they should prove their representative character to the people.
Angered by Pakistan’s consultations with Kashmiri separatists, GOI on August 18 called off next week’s talks between Foreign Secretaries, telling it bluntly to choose between an Indo-Pak dialogue or hobnobbing with the separatists.
In a dramatic setback to efforts to resume the stalled bilateral dialogue, India cancelled the talks scheduled to be held in Islamabad on August 25, raising strong objections to consultations held with separatist Hurriyat leaders by Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit.
