 "India to resume dialogue with Pakistan")
The dialogue between India and Pakistan is likely to restart with new foreign secretary S Jaishankar visiting the neighbouring country as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘SAARC Yatra’ initiative.
The talks were suspended last year after when Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit met Kashmiri leaders on the eve of former foreign secretary Sujatha Singh's visit to Islamabad to meet her counterpart.
On Thursday, PM Modi declared on Twitter that Jaishankar would embark on the ‘SAARC Yatra’ to “further strengthen our ties”. The idea is to take forward the decisions that were made during the last SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit in Kathmandu in November last year. “India will push its agenda (with Pakistan)… We will pursue the bilateral agenda,” Syed Akbaruddin, joint secretary and spokesperson, ministry of external affairs, said on Friday. Akbaruddin also said Pakistan is not going to be the first SAARC country Jaishankar would visit. He, however, did not mention when the visit would take place.
A senior diplomatic source said the 'yatra' (journey) would begin at the end of this month, while the Pakistan visit is likely to be early next month. The visit would try to resume the stalled Composite Dialogue that comprises of issues on the Kashmir dispute, Sir Creek and Siachen.
Earlier on Friday, PM Modi called his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif — as well as other SAARC leaders — to announce the initiative. The decision to announce the resumption of talks was taken during the call between Modi and Sharif. Both leaders, apparently, also discussed the ongoing cricket World Cup and how it plays a symbolic role in the furthering the ties between both countries.
Sources said it was decided India would make the announcement, as it had also taken the decision to cancel the talks just before foreign secretaries were supposed to meet in August last year.
On Thursday, Jaishankar had met Basit and discussed ways to revive the ties. Earlier this week Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had spoken to PM Sharif regarding the TAPI gas pipeline. “We have never said no to talks. We are always open for an uninterrupted and peaceful dialogue process ... However, there cannot be any precondition to talks. All issues must be discussed,” a top Pakistani diplomat told Business Standard.
The planned visit is also important because US President Barack Obama’s insistence that the two countries resume the Composite Dialogue, which has been under suspicion since the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008.
Regular dialogue, too, was suspended in January 2013 after incidents of ceasefire violation and the beheading of an Indian soldier, allegedly by Pakistani troops.
Despite the possibility of the resumption of talks, Pakistan is opposed to India getting a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. PM Sharif, on a telephone conversation, with President Obama, reportedly said “India does not deserve it”.
This came on the heels of Obama indicating, during his recent India visit, that the US might support India’s aspiration to the permanent seat.
PM Modi, too, has been trying to reform the SAARC by inviting leaders from these countries to his swearing-in ceremony.
The talks were suspended last year after when Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit met Kashmiri leaders on the eve of former foreign secretary Sujatha Singh's visit to Islamabad to meet her counterpart.
On Thursday, PM Modi declared on Twitter that Jaishankar would embark on the ‘SAARC Yatra’ to “further strengthen our ties”. The idea is to take forward the decisions that were made during the last SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit in Kathmandu in November last year. “India will push its agenda (with Pakistan)… We will pursue the bilateral agenda,” Syed Akbaruddin, joint secretary and spokesperson, ministry of external affairs, said on Friday. Akbaruddin also said Pakistan is not going to be the first SAARC country Jaishankar would visit. He, however, did not mention when the visit would take place.
A senior diplomatic source said the 'yatra' (journey) would begin at the end of this month, while the Pakistan visit is likely to be early next month. The visit would try to resume the stalled Composite Dialogue that comprises of issues on the Kashmir dispute, Sir Creek and Siachen.
Earlier on Friday, PM Modi called his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif — as well as other SAARC leaders — to announce the initiative. The decision to announce the resumption of talks was taken during the call between Modi and Sharif. Both leaders, apparently, also discussed the ongoing cricket World Cup and how it plays a symbolic role in the furthering the ties between both countries.
Sources said it was decided India would make the announcement, as it had also taken the decision to cancel the talks just before foreign secretaries were supposed to meet in August last year.
On Thursday, Jaishankar had met Basit and discussed ways to revive the ties. Earlier this week Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had spoken to PM Sharif regarding the TAPI gas pipeline. “We have never said no to talks. We are always open for an uninterrupted and peaceful dialogue process ... However, there cannot be any precondition to talks. All issues must be discussed,” a top Pakistani diplomat told Business Standard.
The planned visit is also important because US President Barack Obama’s insistence that the two countries resume the Composite Dialogue, which has been under suspicion since the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008.
Regular dialogue, too, was suspended in January 2013 after incidents of ceasefire violation and the beheading of an Indian soldier, allegedly by Pakistani troops.
Despite the possibility of the resumption of talks, Pakistan is opposed to India getting a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. PM Sharif, on a telephone conversation, with President Obama, reportedly said “India does not deserve it”.
This came on the heels of Obama indicating, during his recent India visit, that the US might support India’s aspiration to the permanent seat.
PM Modi, too, has been trying to reform the SAARC by inviting leaders from these countries to his swearing-in ceremony.