Kashmir remains a core issue that requires a “just solution under United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and wishes of the people of the valley”, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry told his Indian counterpart here on Tuesday.
Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said during the meeting between the Indo-Pak foreign secretaries on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia conference in New Delhi, Chaudhry underscored Pakistan’s commitment to ensure friendly relations with all its neighbours, including India.
Another important bilateral for Foreign Secretary as he meets with his Pakistan counterpart Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry pic.twitter.com/tk5ZKYwxeU
— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) April 26, 2016
“The meeting between Pakistan and Indian foreign secretaries provided a useful opportunity to exchange views on recent developments in bilateral context,” the Indian media quoted Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit as saying. Basit also attended the meeting.
FS emphasized that Kashmir remains the core issue that requires just solution under UNSC resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people.
— SpokespersonMOFA (@ForeignOfficePk) April 26, 2016
Zakaria said the foreign secretary discussed all outstanding issues with India including the all important Kashmir issue, reminding India about the vitality of the UN resolution for lasting peace and prosperity in the region.
Delhi: Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry meets Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar pic.twitter.com/dnO6Fx6Lkn
— ANI (@ANI_news) April 26, 2016
Delhi: Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry meets Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar pic.twitter.com/YZsuDRsIPP
— ANI (@ANI_news) April 26, 2016
Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar meets Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry in Delhi pic.twitter.com/EiV7ilkXj0
— ANI (@ANI_news) April 26, 2016
Secretary Chaudhry’s trip is the first high-level visit to Delhi from Islamabad since the Pathankot attack although a team of investigators from different Pakistan agencies earlier travelled to India for collecting evidence linked to allegations that militants from Pakistan took part in the attack.
The two countries had been, in the aftermath of the Pathankot terrorist attack, been struggling to schedule a meeting of their foreign secretaries after both countries had coincidentally agreed on restarting their bilateral dialogue under a new format called the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue – agreed to at the the last Heart of Asia ministerial meeting held in Islamabad last December, where India was represented by its External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
The agreement on the new talks’ framework had then infused optimism in the ties and was soon followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise stopover in Lahore.
But, soon afterwards Pathankot happened, which was blamed on Pakistan-based militants, and the seemingly smooth progress towards dialogue resumption began to flounder.
