'It's over now,' No longer backdoor contacts with New Delhi, clarifies Pakistani National Security Advisor

The contacts, according to NSA, have been abandoned because India failed to take any confidence-building measures, mainly the reversal of its August 2019 move on Kashmir.

"It's over now," Moeed said in an interview with a local broadcaster, claiming it was New Delhi that advanced Islamabad for resumption of talks.

"It was India that approached us. They (India) said they wanted to talk on all disputed issues, including on Kashmir," he said without specifying the time and location of the contact.

"We clearly conveyed to them our demand i.e. reversal of August 2019 move, for resumption of talks," he went on to say.

"Since they [the Indian government] haven't done anything [favourable] in this regard, so it's over now," he said, foreseeing "no change" in India's stance on the August 2019 move.

"India is trapped in Kashmir after taking this step. It's in their own interest to reverse it," he further argued.

Commenting on the last week's meeting of pro-Indian Kashmiri politicians with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistan NSA said New Delhi has failed to convince even its allies over the controversial Kashmir move.

"They [politicians] too openly demanded the revocation of the August 2019 step and asked Prime Minister Modi to talk to Pakistan [over Kashmir issue]," he contended.

On August 5, 2019, the Indian government revoked Article 370 and other related provisions from its Constitution, scrapping the country’s only Muslim-majority state with its autonomy.

It was also split into two federally administered territories.

Pakistan in rejoinder, suspended trade ties and downgraded diplomatic relations with New Delhi.

In April, UAE's Ambassador to the US Yousef Al Otaiba confirmed that Abu Dhabi was mediating between New Delhi and Islamabad to help reach a “healthy and functional” relationship.

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full while a small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.