Pakistan, India talks deferred after Pathankot attack
Vikas Swarup says talks between foreign secretaries of both countries have been rescheduled with mutual consent
PHOTO: AFP
NEW DELHI:
Pakistan and India have agreed to reschedule talks between their foreign secretaries, the Indian foreign ministry said on Thursday, after an attack on an Indian military base this month.
“The talks between the foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India have been rescheduled with mutual consent of both countries,” spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup, told Indian media in New Delhi.
Pathankot attack: Pakistan to send special investigation team to India
The spokesperson said the foreign secretaries of the neighbours spoke on the telephone and decided to defer the talks that had been tentatively scheduled for Friday in Islamabad.
The two diplomats agreed to hold the talks aimed at achieving a thaw in ties in the very near future but no date was announced. Swarup said they would meet in the "very near future".
Swarup also said India welcomed the action taken by Pakistan against the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group that is blamed by Indian for the attack on the Pathankot airbase.
“The action taken by Pakistan against the Jaish-e-Mohammad group is an important and positive first step,” he said, noting the government of Pakistan is sending an investigation team to probe the recent terrorist attack on Indian Air Force’s base in Pathankot.
The Indian foreign minsiter said the government of India will extend its full cooperation to the Pakistani investigation team in the probe of the terror incident.
"The statement conveys that considerable progress has been made in the investigations being carried out against terrorist elements linked to the Pathankot incident," he said.
Jaish-e-Mohammad chief arrested over Pathankot air base attack
Replying to a question about the Foreign Office’s statement regarding the arrest of JEM chief Maulana Masood Azhar, the spokesperson said the Indian government was also unaware of Azhar’s arrest.
Swarup hoped that the government of Pakistan would complete the investigation and bring all the perpetrators of the attack to justice.
The spokesperson, however, denied reports of a recent meeting between the National Security Advisers of both the countries.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office also confirmed the rescheduling of the talks between the foreign secretaries of the nuclear-armed neighbours.
"Pakistan and India have agreed to reschedule Foreign Secretary level talks in the very near future," Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said in a Twitter message on Thursday.
Seven Indian military personnel were killed in the January 2 attack on the base in the northern state of Punjab, which was followed by a raid on an Indian consulate in Afghanistan that has also been linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Pakistan had promised to investigate who was behind the assault on the air base after India handed over evidence that it said implicated Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Pakistan and India have agreed to reschedule talks between their foreign secretaries, the Indian foreign ministry said on Thursday, after an attack on an Indian military base this month.
“The talks between the foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India have been rescheduled with mutual consent of both countries,” spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup, told Indian media in New Delhi.
Pathankot attack: Pakistan to send special investigation team to India
The spokesperson said the foreign secretaries of the neighbours spoke on the telephone and decided to defer the talks that had been tentatively scheduled for Friday in Islamabad.
The two diplomats agreed to hold the talks aimed at achieving a thaw in ties in the very near future but no date was announced. Swarup said they would meet in the "very near future".
Swarup also said India welcomed the action taken by Pakistan against the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group that is blamed by Indian for the attack on the Pathankot airbase.
“The action taken by Pakistan against the Jaish-e-Mohammad group is an important and positive first step,” he said, noting the government of Pakistan is sending an investigation team to probe the recent terrorist attack on Indian Air Force’s base in Pathankot.
The Indian foreign minsiter said the government of India will extend its full cooperation to the Pakistani investigation team in the probe of the terror incident.
"The statement conveys that considerable progress has been made in the investigations being carried out against terrorist elements linked to the Pathankot incident," he said.
Jaish-e-Mohammad chief arrested over Pathankot air base attack
Replying to a question about the Foreign Office’s statement regarding the arrest of JEM chief Maulana Masood Azhar, the spokesperson said the Indian government was also unaware of Azhar’s arrest.
Swarup hoped that the government of Pakistan would complete the investigation and bring all the perpetrators of the attack to justice.
The spokesperson, however, denied reports of a recent meeting between the National Security Advisers of both the countries.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office also confirmed the rescheduling of the talks between the foreign secretaries of the nuclear-armed neighbours.
"Pakistan and India have agreed to reschedule Foreign Secretary level talks in the very near future," Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said in a Twitter message on Thursday.
Seven Indian military personnel were killed in the January 2 attack on the base in the northern state of Punjab, which was followed by a raid on an Indian consulate in Afghanistan that has also been linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Pakistan had promised to investigate who was behind the assault on the air base after India handed over evidence that it said implicated Jaish-e-Mohammad.