India Calls Off New York Meeting With Pakistan

Delhi cites killing of three policemen in Shopian, issue of Burhan Wani stamp.

- Kallol Bhattacherjee and Suhasini Haidar

India blamed ‘Pakistan-based entities’ for Friday’s killing of three special police officers in Shopian in Kashmir and called off the planned meeting of Foreign Ministers in New York.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said talks in the current circumstances would be futile and also cited stamps issued by Pakistan in July in memory of Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani as reasons for the cancellation.

‘Talks meaningless’

“Any conversation with Pakistan in such an environment would be meaningless. In view of the changed situation, there will be no meeting between the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan in New York,” the MEA said in a press release.