A POTENTIAL spanner was thrown into upcoming talks between India and Pakistan over Kashmir yesterday when Islamabad’s envoy met separatist leaders.

Sartaz Aziz is due to arrive in New Delhi tomorrow to meet Indian national security adviser amid a spate of cross-border skirmishes that have killed dozens of soldiers and civilians.

But India objected to the Pakistani high commissioner’s decision to invite the All Parties Hurriyat Conference to meet Mr Aziz.

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said New Delhi had informed Pakistan that the rendezvous “would not be appropriate.”
Mr Swarup also said that India had sought a confirmation of the agenda for the talks from Pakistan.

Both countries applied for full membership of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation at its conference in the Russian Federation in July, prompting hopes of a settlement to the decades-old conflict.