India calls off meet with Pakistan

New Delhi: Barely 24 hours after agreeing to the engagement, the government on Friday called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan in New York, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad releasing postage stamps “glorifying” Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani. Announcing the cancellation of the meeting, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the incidents “exposed” the “true face” of Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Imran Khan to the world as well as Islamabad’s evil agenda behind the proposal for talks.

Three policemen were abducted from their homes in south Kashmir’s Shopian district and shot dead in cold blood by the militants of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashker-e-Tayyaba on Friday, police said as a new page opened up in the three-decade chapter of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. The terror attack also shook the 1.2-lakh strong Jammu and Kashmir police force with at least six SPOs announcing their resignations on social media, officials said.

Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) Swayam Prakash Pani termed the incident cowardice and said “the militants are desperate as they are feeling the heat from security forces”. Hours later, the Union home ministry said in New Delhi that no policeman has resigned in Jammu and Kashmir following the killing of three police personnel and described such reports as “false propaganda” by “mischievous” elements.