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| India Cancels Talks After Pakistani Envoy Meets With Separatists | India Cancels Talks After Pakistani Envoy Meets With Separatists |
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| NEW DELHI — India called off planned talks with Pakistan on Monday after Pakistan’s top diplomat in New Delhi met with separatist leaders from Kashmir in defiance of an Indian warning, officials here said. | NEW DELHI — India called off planned talks with Pakistan on Monday after Pakistan’s top diplomat in New Delhi met with separatist leaders from Kashmir in defiance of an Indian warning, officials here said. |
| The announcement, which followed a series of cease-fire violations and tough language from both countries, dampened expectations that the two countries would resume a tentative peace process under the leadership of India’s new prime minister, Narendra Modi. | The announcement, which followed a series of cease-fire violations and tough language from both countries, dampened expectations that the two countries would resume a tentative peace process under the leadership of India’s new prime minister, Narendra Modi. |
| Syed Akbaruddin, a spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said Pakistan’s high commissioner in New Delhi had been specifically warned that the talks, scheduled for Aug. 25, would be jeopardized if he met with leaders of the separatist group Hurriyat Conference. He described India’s message as “talk to the separatists or talk to us.” | Syed Akbaruddin, a spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said Pakistan’s high commissioner in New Delhi had been specifically warned that the talks, scheduled for Aug. 25, would be jeopardized if he met with leaders of the separatist group Hurriyat Conference. He described India’s message as “talk to the separatists or talk to us.” |
| The Pakistani official met with Hurriyat leaders earlier on Monday. | |
| “We were all ready to move into a constructive diplomatic engagement,” Mr. Akbaruddin told NDTV, a television news station. “Alas, since then, what we see as efforts to undermine the dialogue have happened, and this was to interfere with India’s internal affairs by calling in the so-called Hurriyat leaders.” | “We were all ready to move into a constructive diplomatic engagement,” Mr. Akbaruddin told NDTV, a television news station. “Alas, since then, what we see as efforts to undermine the dialogue have happened, and this was to interfere with India’s internal affairs by calling in the so-called Hurriyat leaders.” |
| Mr. Modi has made regional cooperation a major theme in his first months in office, and curtailed the inevitable discussion of whether to meet with Pakistan’s leader, Nawaz Sharif, by inviting Mr. Sharif to New Delhi for his swearing-in ceremony in May. | Mr. Modi has made regional cooperation a major theme in his first months in office, and curtailed the inevitable discussion of whether to meet with Pakistan’s leader, Nawaz Sharif, by inviting Mr. Sharif to New Delhi for his swearing-in ceremony in May. |
| Regarded as a hard-liner on foreign policy, Mr. Modi could engage Pakistan without risking damaging criticism from the right, analysts on both sides said, comparing the overture with President Richard M. Nixon’s 1972 visit to China. | Regarded as a hard-liner on foreign policy, Mr. Modi could engage Pakistan without risking damaging criticism from the right, analysts on both sides said, comparing the overture with President Richard M. Nixon’s 1972 visit to China. |
| C. Raja Mohan, a foreign-policy analyst in New Delhi, cautioned against reading too much into Monday’s announcement. | C. Raja Mohan, a foreign-policy analyst in New Delhi, cautioned against reading too much into Monday’s announcement. |
| “It’s too early for that — this is the usual bump in the road,” Mr. Mohan said. “The foreign secretaries are not going to do much anyway. This shouldn’t be worrisome as long as there is back-channel communication, as long as there is contact between the two sides.” | “It’s too early for that — this is the usual bump in the road,” Mr. Mohan said. “The foreign secretaries are not going to do much anyway. This shouldn’t be worrisome as long as there is back-channel communication, as long as there is contact between the two sides.” |
| The Hurriyat Conference is a coalition of separatist leaders in Indian-administered Kashmir. It consists of various factions, some hard-line and some more moderate. Mr. Mohan said that Pakistan’s envoys had occasionally met with the Hurriyat leaders when Gen. Pervez Musharraf led Pakistan in the last decade, and that India’s reaction varied with the circumstances. | The Hurriyat Conference is a coalition of separatist leaders in Indian-administered Kashmir. It consists of various factions, some hard-line and some more moderate. Mr. Mohan said that Pakistan’s envoys had occasionally met with the Hurriyat leaders when Gen. Pervez Musharraf led Pakistan in the last decade, and that India’s reaction varied with the circumstances. |
| “In the beginning, they were very upset, but then they were quite willing to overlook it,” he said. | “In the beginning, they were very upset, but then they were quite willing to overlook it,” he said. |
| Observers took it as a positive signal that Mr. Sharif did not meet with Hurriyat leaders during his visit to New Delhi in May. But from the start, it was clear that the leaders of both India and Pakistan would face resistance to a warming in relations — Mr. Modi from his right-wing supporters, and Mr. Sharif from powerful figures in Pakistan’s military. | Observers took it as a positive signal that Mr. Sharif did not meet with Hurriyat leaders during his visit to New Delhi in May. But from the start, it was clear that the leaders of both India and Pakistan would face resistance to a warming in relations — Mr. Modi from his right-wing supporters, and Mr. Sharif from powerful figures in Pakistan’s military. |
| Last week, on a visit to Indian-administered Kashmir, Mr. Modi used the toughest language to date to chide Pakistan, telling an audience of military officials that “the neighboring country has lost the strength to fight a conventional war, but continues to engage in the proxy war of terrorism.” | Last week, on a visit to Indian-administered Kashmir, Mr. Modi used the toughest language to date to chide Pakistan, telling an audience of military officials that “the neighboring country has lost the strength to fight a conventional war, but continues to engage in the proxy war of terrorism.” |
| Pakistan responded swiftly, releasing a statement that called Mr. Modi’s remarks “most unfortunate, especially as the leadership of Pakistan wishes to establish good neighborly relations with India.” | Pakistan responded swiftly, releasing a statement that called Mr. Modi’s remarks “most unfortunate, especially as the leadership of Pakistan wishes to establish good neighborly relations with India.” |