TIA NEWS /NEW DELHI
INDIA’S External Affairs Ministry has said, there has been no decision so far on India’s level of participation at SAARC Finance Ministers meet in Islamabad.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was supposed to take part in the meeting. The conference is scheduled for later this month.
Asked whether India will accept Pakistan Foreign Secretary’s invitation to his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar for talks, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, the ball is in Pakistan’s court now. He said Dr Jaishankar in his letter in response to the invitation had made it clear he is willing to visit Islamabad but talks should be on counter terrorism which is the pressing aspect of situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Foreign Secretary had also said that he is looking forward to discussing with his Pakistani counterpart the earliest possible vacation of Pakistan illegal Occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr Jaishankar also underlined the importance of bringing to justice all those guilty in Pakistan for the Mumbai terror attack of 2008 and Pathankot airbase attack.
He said that his visit should provide the opportunity to receive a briefing from Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary on progress in this regard.
As to whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reference to Balochistan constitutes a policy shift, the spokesperson said,
India has made statements about the situation in Baluchistan in the past as well. He said, the only difference this time was that the Prime Minister was moved by the various messages received by him and therefore he shared it with the people.