ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, reacting to India’s decision to cancel talks on Friday said, “Pakistan had requested for the meeting in the larger interest of the region.”
The FM claimed that India has priorities other than dialogue, adding that, “It seems that India is already preparing for its elections due in the country next year.” Speaking to local news outlet Express Tribune said, there is a group in New Delhi that does not want talks to take place.

It seems that the Indian govt is divided on the issue of negotiations — have never seen such a puerile statement given by any Foreign Office. The world is watching: Pakistan stands for peace while Indian policies are being guided by extremist ideologies

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) September 21, 2018

Qureshi further stated that Islamabad would also not feel the need to respond in haste if India were to approach Pakistan for dialogue in the future. “Pakistan extended the offer despite possessing evidence of Indian interference in Balochistan,” said Qureshi.
The foreign minister reiterated dialogue is the only way to resolve issues.
A day after accepting Prime Minister Imran Khan’s invitation for a rare informal meeting, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York next week, India, on Friday called off the meeting.
Indian Minister of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar confirmed the decision to Indian media, citing the “killing of Indian security forces” allegedly by Pakistani entities and the release of postage stamps allegedly glorifying terrorists as the reasons behind the cancelation of the talks.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan’s true face is in front of us,” he said. “There is no point in holding talks with Pakistan in such an environment,” he added.
In the letter sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, PM Khan had proposed a meeting between Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi. He said that an informal meeting of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), on the sidelines of the UNGA, would be the ideal platform to kick-start dialogue.
While Kumar confirmed that India had agreed to Pakistan’s request for a meeting, he was quick to clarify when he said, on Thursday, that “This should not be confused with the resumption of any dialogue; this is just a meeting on the request of Pakistan. This does not indicate any change in our policy as far as our stand on terrorism and cross-border terrorism is concerned.”
The meeting was scheduled to be held on September 27.
Earlier today, the United States had also welcomed the meeting between Pakistan and Indian Foreign Ministers in New York, expressing hope that the stage for a “good, strong relationship between the two neighbors” would be set.
Information Minister of Pakistan Fawad Chaudhry said in a tweet following India’s decision ” The world is watching, Pakistan stands for peace, while Indian policies are being guided by extremist ideologies.”