India-Pak NSAs meet in Bangkok

New Delhi: The National Security Advisors (NSAs) of India and Pakistan on Sunday held talks in Bangkok for four hours, discussing terrorism, Kashmir and several other issues to take forward the dialogue process.

The dialogue between the two neighbouring countries was under cloud following the cancellation of the previous round of NSA talks.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Nasir Janjua have agreed to carry forward the “constructive engagement” process, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press statement.

The two NSAs were accompanied by the two countries’ respective foreign secretaries—S Jaishankar and Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry—in the marathon meeting held in the Thai capital, six days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif had



a brief meeting in Paris.

“Discussions were held in a candid, cordial and constructive atmosphere.  They were guided by the vision of the two leaders for a peaceful, stable and prosperous South Asia. The discussions covered peace and security, terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, and other issues, including tranquillity along the LoC. It was agreed to carry forward the constructive engagement,” the MEA statement said.

The choice of a neutral venue for the NSAs’ meeting may have been prompted by a desire to avoid a repeat of the events that led to the cancellation of a visit by Sartaj Aziz, the then Pakistani NSA, to New Delhi for talks in August. 

Pakistan called off the visit after New Delhi made it clear that Aziz would not be allowed to meet Kashmiri separatist leaders in the Indian capital.