Pakistan calls for resumption of foreign secretary-level talks with India

FO spokesperson voices concern over arrest of Kashmiri students at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday called for an early resumption of foreign secretary-level talks with India.

“The date of the foreign secretary-level talks should now be finalised as early as possible following the Indian policy statement not to link talks with the progress on Pathankot incident,” Foreign Office spokesperson Muhammad Nafees Zakria said at a weekly news briefing in Islamabad.



The FO spokesperson said both countries are in contact on last month’s terror incident in the North Indian state of Punjab but no date has been fixed yet.

In response to a question about the arrest of Kashmiri students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, Zakria said Kashmiris never accepted the unfair trial of separatist leader Afzal Guru.

“Pakistan has repeatedly voiced concerns and condemned the incidents in which the Kashmiris of occupied valley were subjected to atrocities by the Indian troops,” he said, while pointing out that Pakistan has adequately and appropriately raised the Kashmir disputed at all international forums.



In response to another question regarding the Afghan reconciliation process, Zakria disclosed that the next meeting of quadrilateral group on Afghanistan will be held in Kabul next week (February 23) to review the efforts made in this regard as the official claimed efforts are on to bring the Taliban back to the negotiating table.

Regarding Syrian conflict, the spokesperson said Pakistan has adopted a principled stand on Syrian crisis as it desires amicable solution of the issue. Answering another question, the official said Pakistan supports efforts towards countering terrorism including the 34-member Saudi led coalition.



When asked about the concerns raised by the US State Department on the security of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals, the FO spokesperson said: “Washington has repeatedly in the past expressed complete satisfaction over the security of our nuclear arsenals.”