Yes, NSA Doval met Pakistani counterpart, MEA confirms, says talks were about terrorism

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Ajit Doval had a meeting with Nasir Janjua: MEA
  • Terror and talks cannot go together, but talks on terror definitely can: MEA
  • India raised issue of cross-border terrorism during the talks: MEA
The Indian and Pakistani NSAs met in Thailand recently, the MEA today cofirmed (Reuters photo for representation)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Ajit Doval had a meeting with Nasir Janjua: MEA
  • Terror and talks cannot go together, but talks on terror definitely can: MEA
  • India raised issue of cross-border terrorism during the talks: MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs today confirmed media reports that the National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan recently had a meeting. "We have said terror and talks cannot go together but talks on terror can definitely go ahead," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. T

The Ministry of External Affairs today confirmed media reports that the National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan recently had a meeting.

"We have said terror and talks cannot go together but talks on terror can definitely go ahead," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. The ministry's confirmation comes around a week after media in both India and Pakistan reported that PM Narendra Modi's NSA Ajit Doval met his Pakistani counterpart Lt General (retd.) Nasir Khan Janjua in Bangkok.

The meeting, the reports said, took place just a day after jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav was allowed to meet with his wife and mother in Islamabad. That meeting ignited major controversy with New Delhi expressing concern over how the Jadhav family had been treated during their time in Pakistan.

Terror and talks cannot go together but talks on terror can definitely go ahead
- MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar

Doval's meeting with Janjua, however, was not linked the Jadhav family reunion, the reports, all of them quoting unnamed sources, had said. "The meeting was good. Doval's tone and tenor was friendly and positive," a Pakistan official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI, which reported the meeting last week.

This isn't the first time Doval has met with Janjua in a third country. In 2015, the two NSAs had met, again in Bangkok, and discussed terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, among other bilateral issues.

'SECRET MEETING'

  • Kulbhushan Jadhav met wife, mother on December 25 in Islamabad.
  • Ajit Doval was reported to have met his Pakistani counterpart just a day or two later.
  • News reports in India and Pakistan said the meeting was a secret one.
  • MEA today confirmed the meeting had taken place.

The Doval-Janjua meeting in December was about terrorism, the MEA said today while confirming that talks had taken place. "... Our issue was eliminating terrorism... we of course raised the issue of cross-border terrorism in those talks," Kumar said on Thursday.

The meeting, according to a report in the Pakistani publication Dawn, was supposed to be secret. But, "once the Indian side 'did not live up to its commitment' and information about it began appearing in Indian media, Pakistani officials too started sharing their impressions about the interaction," the Dawn said in its report, referring to a story published by the Indian Express saying the two NSAs had met in Bangkok.

WATCH | Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with wife, mother: Cruel photo opportunity?

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