India, Pakistan plan NSA meet in August

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A major consideration is that the talks take place after the Parliament’s Monsoon Session, so that the government is not hemmed in by the Opposition questioning the government’s overtures towards Pakistan.

While India has not directly blamed Pakistan for the attack, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said a preliminary analysis of GPS data (found in possession of the terrorists) indicates that they had infiltrated “from Pakistan” through the area near Tash in Gurdaspur, where the Ravi enters Pakistan. “Security forces at the border are alert, but the difficult terrain coupled with recent heavy rain, resulting in excess flow in rivers and canals along the border, could have been a factor in this group sneaking into Punjab,” Singh had said.

In response, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah had on Thursday said, “It is unfortunate that India is pointing fingers, even before the probe is complete.”

Despite the war of words, New Delhi is keen to go ahead with a previous understanding between the two Prime Ministers — arrived in the Russian city of Ufa on July 10 — that the two NSAs should meet.