Islamabad/New Delhi : India and Pakistan on Tuesday appeared to be inching towards resumption of dialogue after Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar’s discussions here, described by both sides as “ice-breaking”.
Jaishankar flew in here as part of his “SAARC yatra” and held extensive talks with his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Chaudhary besides calling on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Advisor on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz.
Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam used the term “ice-breaking” while summing-up the discussions, a view with which Indian sources concurred. On his part, Jaishankar said the talks were held in “constructive and positive atmosphere”.
He had conveyed India’s concerns on cross-border terrorism, including issues relating to the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai.
The parleys between the two sides were interrupted seven months ago when India called off foreign secretary-level talks at the eleventh hour after the Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi held consultations with Kashmiri separatists.
This is the first comprehensive meeting between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan after 2012. This is Jaishankar’s third stop in his “SAARC yatra” as he has already visited Thimphu and Dhaka. He will leave for Afghanistan on Wednesday to round-off the first leg of his “SAARC yatra.”
Last month, using cricket diplomacy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Sharif and also told him about Jaishankar’s “SAARC yatra”.
