(Photo courtesy: MEA)
After Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s surprise to Lahore on Friday, India and Pakistan are now expected to hold their foreign secretary-level talks in Islamabad on January 15 to discuss modalities and schedule for various issues under the Composite Dialogue.
The Composite Dialogue was re-launched at the Foreign Minister level meeting in Islamabad earlier in the month.
In a surprising move, the Foreign Secretaries would meet in Pakistan even after hosting EAM Sushma Swaraj in December, according to reports.
The report also states Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar is expected to visit the neighbouring country to discuss modalities for the Composite Dialogue process and that the meeting could take place on January 15 in Islamabad.
The issue of Foreign Secretary level meeting was discussed between the two PMs when Narendra Modi made a stopover in Lahore on Friday on his way back from Kabul to Delhi, making the surprise his first to the neighbouring nation.
Modi telephoned Sharif after having visited Russia and when he was still in Afghanistan to greet the Pak PM on his birthday. That is when Sharif decided to be a host, The Nation newspaper from Pakistan claimed on Saturday.
Pakistani news channel Geo TV claimed in its report: “The two leaders reportedly discussed a range of bilateral issues, including Kashmir.”
Briefing reporters after Modi’s departure from Lahore on Sunday night, Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry said, “It was a goodwill visit and the two sides decided to understand each other’s reservations and restart the comprehensive dialogue in a positive manner.”
The Pak foreign secretary revealed that during the brief meeting, the two PMs decided that as a part of the comprehensive dialogue, the foreign secretaries of the two countries will meet in mid-January.
Pak Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah also said that both prime ministers agreed to enhance cooperation and work together to establish good neighbourly relations.
In the joint statement issued at the end of Swaraj’s meeting with Pak Foreign Affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz on December 8 it was decided that the two sides would commece a Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue to discuss security, Confidence Building Measures (CBMs), Jammu & Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Baragge/Tulbul Navigation Project, Economic and Commercial Cooperation, Counter- Terrorism, Narcotics Control, Humanitarian Issues, People-to-People exchanges and religious tourism. The Joint Statement had also mentioned that the two Foreign Secretaries would meet to discuss the schedule and modalities of the dialogue.
The two NSAs would discuss the critical issue of cross-border terror, according to the joint statement.
The handshake and brief chat between PM Modi and Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of Paris Climate Change Conference on November 30 was followed by national security adviser-level talks in Bangkok on December 6.