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Indian foreign secretary arriving on March 3 for two-day visit
* Apart from Kashmir, Siachin and Sir Creek issues, Pakistan is set to take up tension at Line of Control, Samjhota Express probe, boat incident
By Sardar Sikander Shaheen
ISLAMABAD: Indian Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar would be arriving in the capital on a two-day next month (March 3-4), the Foreign Office confirmed on Wednesday. The visit comes in pursuance to a telephonic call from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to PM Nawaz Sharif on February 13, FO Spokesperson Tansim Aslam said. During his visit, the Indian foreign secretary would hold meeting with Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, she said in a statement. Earlier on Tuesday, Indian media had quoted their sources as having confirmed that the top Indian diplomat was scheduled to land in Islamabad on March 3. These reports were confirmed by Indian External Affairs Ministry the same day. Moreover, the Pakistani FO spokesperson is expected to elaborate further on Indian diplomat’s visit in today (Thursday’s) media briefing. Requesting anonymity, a senior Pakistani diplomat termed the development involving Indian foreign secretary’s upcoming arrival as an important confidence building measure. “The ice is melting,” the source commented, adding that the CBMs were the key to resume the stalled dialogue process leading to composite dialogue. “Pinning the hopes too high on this event would make an overly optimistic approach. Composite dialogue cannot start overnight. There is a long way to go. Normalisation of Pak-India relations is a long-term prospect. Things need to reach that point, first. But the two sides are willing to solve the problems and that omens well for everybody,” the diplomat said. Apart from outstanding issues including Kashmir, Siachin and Sir Creek, Pakistan would take up the thorny issues including Line of Control (LoC) tension, Samjhota Express probe, terror boat incident, Indian involvement in terrorism in north-western tribal-belt and Balochistan insurgency, whereas the Indian side is expected to raise the Mumbai attacks issue and Pakistan’s alleged support to separatist groups in Indian-Occupied Kashmir. First envisaged in May 2014, following PM Sharif’s visit to New Delhi to be part of the oath-taking ceremony of Indian premier, the Pakistan-India foreign secretary-level talks were scheduled on August 25 in Islamabad. However, India cancelled the talks after Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit met Hurriyat leaders including chief of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Party Shabbir Shah, ahead of the secretaries meeting. Announcing the meeting’s cancellation, the Indian External Affairs Ministry said in a statement issued then “The invitation to so-called leaders of the Hurriyat by Pakistan’s high commissioner does indeed raise questions about Pakistan’s sincerity, and shows that its negative approaches and attempts to interfere in India’s internal affairs continue unabated.”
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk