Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar on Tuesday met his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry in Delhi on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia conference. The Pakistan High Commission said the 90-minute-long meeting provided a useful opportunity to exchange views on bilateral issues, which also included the capture of alleged Research and Analysis Wing officer Kulbushan Jadhav, reported PTI. India requested for immediate consular access to the former naval officer, who has been labelled a spy by Pakistan.
Jaishankar emphasised on need for early and visible progress on the investigations of the Pathankot and 26/11 attacks, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup told reporters. Jaishanker also told Chaudhry that Pakistan cannot be in denial on the impact of terrorism on bilateral ties, adding that terror groups based in the country targeting India must not be allowed to operate with impunity.
Chaudhry, meanwhile, expressed Pakistan's concern over RAW's alleged involvement in subversive activities in Balochistan and Karachi. "He said such acts undermine efforts to normalise relations between the two countries. He also conveyed concern over efforts by Indian authorities for the release of the prime suspects of the Samjhauta Express blasts," the Pakistan High Commission said in a statement.
The Pakistani foreign secretary said Jaishakar's pending visit to the country is important for early commencement of comprehensive dialogue between the neighbouring nations. All outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, were discussed during the meeting. "The foreign secretaries emphasised that Kashmir remains the core issue that requires a just solution in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolution and wish of Kashmiris," the official statement added.
The conference is an annual meet on Afghanistan, which is being held in the Indian capital this year. Jaishankar will meet his Afghan counterpart for bilateral discussions, as well. This was the first meeting between the two countries' foreign secretaries since the terror attack in Pathankot in January this year.
The meeting also comes soon after Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit said the bilateral peace process had been suspended. Reports in the Pakistani media had also said members of a Joint Investigative Team from Pakistan, sent to look into the Pathankot attack, claimed India had staged the incident and that officials did not cooperate with the five-member JIT.
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