New Delhi: In what marks a major thaw in Indo-Pak relations following PM Narendra Modi's Christmas date with his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif, both countries are likely to hold their foreign secretary-level talks in Islamabad on January 15.
Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar is likely to visit Islamabad for a meeting with his counterpart Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary on January 15.
The two diplomats will together work out the modalities and schedule of the meetings under the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue that was relaunched at the foreign minister Sushma Swaraj's visit to Pakistan earlier this month.
Reports say, India's consent to hold bilateral talks in Islamabad is to prevent the Hurriyat leaders from becoming a major obstacle in the Indo-Pak engagement again.
As Pakistan still maintains that it considers Hurriyat as true representatives of Kashmiris.
Briefing reporters after Modi's departure on Friday 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 Pakistani foreign secretary said that during the brief meeting, the two PMs decided that the foreign secretaries will meet in mid-January.
However, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz said it would not be fair to expect instant resolution of all issues during the initial phase of the comprehensive dialogue between the foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India.
In an earlier announcement, Aziz said that the meeting between the foreign secretaries of the two countries has been scheduled for the mid of next month.
According to Radio Pakistan, “Initially the focus (of talks) would be on the reduction of tension and maintenance of calm on the Line of Control to provide relief to the people living across the LoC.”
The comprehensive dialogue between Pakistan and India will eventually focus on all outstanding issues including Jammu and Kashmir, he maintained.
The foreign affairs adviser said “in the recent meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries in Lahore it was decided that foreign secretaries would meet in the midst of next month to decide details of dialogue on all issues”.
