Pakistan cautious on India dialogue calls

Foreign Office says will wait for official reaction

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan on Thursday reacted cautiously to calls from within India to start dialogue with Islamabad, saying it would wait for the official response from the Indian government before drawing any conclusions.

"The voices within India calling for a dialogue are obviously a positive development, we hope that sanity will prevail in India, and warmongering, the belligerence that has been emanating for the past several months and even beyond, for past years will fade away and pave the way for more such voices," Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said at his weekly media briefing.

"We, of course, will see if there is an official reaction to those voices in India," he added while responding to questions about recent statements by Indian politicians and commentators, including Shashi Tharoor, former Indian army chief Gen Manoj Naravane, former RAW chief AS Dulat and RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale advocating engagement with Pakistan.

The flurry of statements from India particularly from a senior RSS figure sparked a debate on both sides of the border that if this indicated a possible shift in Modi's Pakistan policy.

There have been concerns within India that New Delhi's policy of seeking Islamabad's diplomatic isolation has not only backfired. On the contrary, Pakistan's geostrategic profile has been on the rise since May's conflict and the country's image got a further boost after it emerged as lead mediator between Iran and the US.

Observers believe that a series of statements in India favouring dialogue may be aimed at testing waters before any policy shift.

One thing they, however, agree that India's current policy fell flat on its face and hence there may be some recalibration.

Asked about reports in the Indian media regarding possible back-channel contacts between the two countries, the spokesperson declined to comment.

"About track two or back channel, well I am not aware of that and do not wish to comment on those. If I was to comment there would be no back channel. Back channel or track II, the name is self-explanatory," Andrabi remarked.

Meanwhile, responding to remarks by US Senator Lindsey Graham regarding reports about Iranian aircraft presence in Pakistan, the spokesperson said Islamabad had already clarified the matter.

"I understand that this statement was made immediately after the CBS News report and before our press release," he said, adding that Pakistan had explained the aircraft was in the country for "logistical, administrative and diplomatic reason, and it has nothing to do with the military purpose."

On the ceasefire between Iran and the United States, the spokesperson said Pakistan welcomed the development and hoped it would lead to diplomacy.

"It is welcoming and gratifying that the ceasefire is holding. We hope that it would continue to pave the way for dialogue and diplomacy and eventual settlement, and sustainable solution to this crisis," he said.

The Foreign Office also confirmed that Pakistan remained engaged in facilitating contacts between Tehran and Washington.

"Pakistan, on its parts, remain engaged," the spokesperson said when asked about the status of the peace process.