New Delhi: The government on Thursday said that foreign ministers from India and Pakistan are expected to meet in New York City on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly next week.
“It is a meeting, not resumption of dialogue,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.
The move comes after the request made by Pakistan’s newly elected prime minister Imran Khan. New Delhi responded positively while replying to the request to hold a meeting between Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pak PM Imran Khan wrote:
“We have just agreed to the meeting. The agenda is not finalized,” Mr. Kumar said.
Citing that the atmosphere is not conducive, Imran Khan’s SAARC summit in Pakistan proposal was rejected by the government.
“Let’s distinguish between meeting and dialogue. This doesn’t change our stance on terrorism,” said Mr. Kumar.
In his letter, the Pakistani Prime Minister has said last month, that his country seeks to resume the peace dialogues between the countries that have been suspended since 2015. In his letter, the Pak PM addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “Modi Sahab”. He also suggested a meeting between the foreign ministers and said that Pakistan “remains ready” to discuss terrorism.
He said that the foreign ministers meet could help both the countries in exploring the way forward while adding that the SAARC Summit in Islamabad “will offer an opportunity for you to visit Pakistan and for us to re-start the stalled dialogue process.”
Mr. Kumar rejected the SAARC suggestion by saying “We have agreed to their request for a meeting but do not read too much into it.”
The government clarified its stand that the idea of resumption of dialogue cannot be initiated as of now “Talks and terror can’t go together,” the government said, reiterating New Delhi’s stand.
The details of the letter by the Pakistani Prime Minister were available to the public only a day after a soldier’s throat was slit by the troops of Pakistan at the International Border, and due to this, the Border Security Force lodged a strong protest with the Pak Rangers.
After a series of attacks, hostilities between the two countries escalated, among which most significant is the terror attack on an army camp in Uri that left 19 soldiers dead. In revenge, the Indian forces launched surgical strikes across the Line of Control to target the terror camps established by the Pakistani army.
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