India's home minister arrives in Islamabad to attend SAARC meeting

Rajnath Singh's visit comes in the backdrop of growing strains on Indo-Pak ties as tensions flare in held Kashmir

India's interior minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday to attend the one-day meeting a meeting of home ministers from countries belonging to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc).

He is the first high-level official to come to Pakistan since December 2015, when Narendra Modi landed in Lahore to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

However, Singh will not hold a one-on-one meeting with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar.

His visit comes in the backdrop of growing strains on Pakistan-India ties as tensions flare between the nuclear-armed rivals over unrest in disputed Kashmir.



The Saarc group includes India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Leaving for Islamabad to attend the SAARC HM Conference. This Conference provides a platform to discuss issues pertaining to security.

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 3, 2016

Looking forward to underscore the imperative of meaningful cooperation within the region against terrorism and organised crime.

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 3, 2016

Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has warned of countrywide protests in Pakistan if the Indian home minister is allowed to attend the SAARC home ministerial conference in Islamabad.