SAARC Yatra:Indian Foreign Secretary Jaishankar in Pakistan

Islamabad

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar arrived here today to hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary, seven months after India had cancelled Foreign Secretary-level talks.

Jaishankar, who flew into Islamabad from Dhaka, was received by Indian High Commissioner T C A Raghavan at the airport.

“Indian Foreign Secretary Dr S Jaishankar arrives at Islamabad for Foreign Secretary level talks,” Indian High Commission here tweeted.

Jaishankar, who started his “SAARC yatra” on Sunday with Bhutan and visited Bangladesh yesterday, will also call on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif later before flying out to Afghanistan tomorrow.

Pakistan has already expressed hope that the talks would lead to resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue. On its part, India has maintained that it will discuss the ways to take forward the “process of normalisation” between the two countries.

India had cancelled FS-level talks because the Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi held consultations with Kashmiri separatists. However, last month, using cricket diplomacy Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Sharif and also told him about Jaishankar’s “SAARC yatra”.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) — an economic and geopolitical grouping of eight countries located in South Asia — includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka as its members.


Jaishankar meets Pak’s Foreign Secretary

After a seven-month hiatus, India and Pakistan today renewed FS-level talks, with Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar meeting with his counterpart Aizaz Chaudhary after arriving here as part of “SAARC yatra”.

Jaishankar, who arrived here from Dhaka this morning, was received by Indian High Commissioner T C A Raghavan at the airport.

The Foreign Secretary met Chaudhary at the Foreign Office here, the first FS-level meeting since India called them off last year after Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi held consultations with Kashmiri separatists.

Jaishankar said that he was happy to be visiting Pakistan and that he looks forward to having substantial and meaningful negotiations with Pakistani officials, Dawn reported.

Pakistan has already expressed hope that the talks would lead to resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue. On its part, India has maintained that it will discuss the ways to take forward the “process of normalisation” between the two countries.

Jaishankar, who started his “SAARC yatra” on Sunday with Bhutan and visited Bangladesh yesterday, will also call on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif later before flying out to Afghanistan tomorrow.

Last month, using cricket diplomacy Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Sharif and also told him about Jaishankar’s “SAARC yatra”.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) — an economic and geopolitical grouping of eight countries located in South Asia — includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka as its members.

FS-meet: India, Pak appear to inch towards dialogue resumption
From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad/New Delhi

India and Pakistan today 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 appear to have provided the two sides to move ahead on the road towards resumption of their dialogue which was interrupted seven months ago when India called-off foreign secretary-level talks at the eleventh hour because the Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi held consultations with Kashmiri separatists.

“The two Secretaries tried building blocks to move forward. There was a forward-looking intent. They seem to be making progress in the pursuit of normalisation of ties,” Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry Syed Akbaruddin said in New Delhi.

After his talks with Chaudhary, the Foreign Secretary said, “My visit provided an opportunity to discuss our bilateral relations. We engaged on each other’s concerns and interests in an open manner. We agreed to work together to find common ground and narrow differences.

“I reiterated our known concerns on cross-border terrorism, including on the Mumbai case”. .

The two Foreign Secretaries held an hour-long discussion before they broke-off for call-ons by Jaishankar on Aziz and PM’s Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi. Jaishankar and Chaudhary resumed their discussions over working lunch which also lasted for over an hour.

This is the first comprehensive meeting between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan after 2012.

“We agreed that ensuring peace and tranquillity on the border was vital,” Jaishankar said.

The Foreign Secretary also said that during the talks with Chaudhary ideas and initiatives to take SAARC forward were discussed.

“I am glad to be here as part of the Prime Minister’s initiative of a SAARC Yatra. I conveyed the expectations of our leadership on SAARC and their determination to forge a cooperative relationship with all our neighbours.

“We discussed ideas and initiatives to take SAARC forward. Pakistan will be the next SAARC Chair and India would like to work with Pakistan to help SAARC achieve its potential,” he said.

This is Jaishankar’s third stop in his “SAARC yatra” as he has already visited Thimphu and Dhaka. He will leave for Afghanistan from here tomorrow to round-off the first leg of his “SAARC yatra” aimed at firming up India’s ties with members of the grouping while reviewing regional and bilateral cooperation.

Last month, using cricket diplomacy Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Sharif and also told him about Jaishankar’s “SAARC yatra”.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) — an economic and geopolitical grouping of eight countries located in South Asia — includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka as its members.

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