Pakistan flip-flop on talks with India persists;Imran Khan links it to Art 370 restoration

Amid a series of conflicting statements on the bilateral ties with India, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday harked back to his rhetorical narrative. Responding to questions from the public, Khan asserted that his government will not talk to India unless it reverses the steps taken on August 5, 2019, including the abrogation of Article 370 and revocation of statehood. Since the last few months, speculation was rife about backchannel talks between the two countries brokered by a third country.

While the MEA has not commented on this, Yousef Al Otaiba- the UAE's ambassador to the US claimed that his country played a role “in bringing Kashmir escalation down and created a ceasefire, hopefully ultimately leading to restoring diplomats and getting the relationship back to a healthy level". The 1992 Cricket World Cup-winning captain also fearmongered about human rights in India. Moreover, he claimed that the West was quiet on this front as it is propping up India as a strong force in the wake of the threat posed by China. 

Pakistan PM Imran Khan remarked, "I hear many times that Pakistan has started talks with India. I want to make it very clear. Until India reverses its decisions taken regarding Kashmir including statehood on August 5, the Pakistan government will not talk with India."

"The Western media and Western nations do not raise issues of human rights because they care about human rights, unfortunately, they use it to further their foreign policy objectives. They are scared that China will surpass the Western countries. That's why they have decided to build India as a strong force against China," he added

Pakistan's flip-flop on bilateral ties

During his maiden visit to Sri Lanka on February 24, Pakistan PM Imran Khan called for resolving differences with India via dialogue. Claiming that he had unsuccessfully attempted to diffuse tensions in the bilateral relationship after assuming power in 2018, he emphasised the need to improve trading ties with India. In a joint statement issued a day later, the Director Generals of Military Operations of both countries agreed to strictly observe all agreements and stop firing from February 25.

Softening the brash tone further, Imran Khan told participants at the recently held Islamabad Security Dialogue that India can benefit from more trade and connectivity to Central Asia if both nations resolve their issues. Speaking at the same event, Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa maintained that it is time to bury the past and move forward. However, there was a setback when the Pakistan Cabinet rejected the proposal of the Economic Coordination Committee to import sugar, cotton and yarn from India. 

In another twist, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told Samaa TV in an interview on May 7 that the abrogation of Article 370 is India's internal matter. Also, he pointed out that the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir has been challenged in the Supreme Court. Moreover, he claimed that a huge section in India was of the belief that this move did not prove to be beneficial for India. The PTI leader also stressed that all outstanding issues can be settled only through dialogue as war will be "suicidal".

However, he took a U-turn after a backlash from the opposition. Writing on Twitter, he said, "Let me be clear: Jammu & Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute on the UN Security Council agenda. Final settlement of the dispute lies in UNSC resolution calling for free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices. Nothing about J&K can be India’s internal matter."