Close X
Saturday, September 21, 2024
ADVT 
India

Sushma Swaraj To Visit Pakistan, Meet Nawaz Sharif

Darpan News Desk IANS, 07 Dec, 2015 12:14 PM
    External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will travel to Pakistan for a regional security conference on Tuesday and also meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif there.
     
    Sushma Swaraj will lead the Indian delegation for Heart of Asia 5th Ministerial Meeting on Afghanistan on December 9 in Islamabad, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a tweet.
     
    In Islamabad, the prime minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said he was looking forward to meeting Sushma Swaraj.
     
    "Talks are the only solution," the Daily Pakistan quoted Aziz as saying.
     
    Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Sushma Swaraj will arrive in Islamabad on Wednesday and Tuesday, respectively, to attend the two-day summit.
     
    The Heart of Asia conference engages "heart of Asia" countries in sincere and result-oriented cooperation for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
     
    Aziz said there have been breakthroughs in dialogue with Afghanistan and India and the Pakistani relationship with the two countries would now further be strengthened.
     
    Matters of conflict between Pakistan and India would be discussed in the meeting and a road map would be devised to resume the composite bilateral dialogue during the visit, he said.
     
     
    Sushma Swaraj's visit comes after the NSAs of India and Pakistan met in Bangkok on Sunday and "agreed to carry forward the constructive engagement".
     
    A joint statement issued after the Bangkok meeting said Ajit Doval of India and Naseer Khan Janjua of Pakistan held discussions "in a candid, cordial and constructive atmosphere".
     
    "Discussions covered peace and security, terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, and other issues including tranquility along the LoC (Line of Control)", the statement said.
     
    Sunday's meeting in Bangkok followed the impromptu meeting of Prime Ministers Narendra Modi of India and Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan in Paris on the sidelines of the Conference of Parties (CoP) 21 climate summit on November 30.
     
    This was the first meeting between Modi and Sharif since they met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Russia's Ufa in July this year.
     
    Sushma Swaraj's will be the first ministerial-level visit from India to Pakistan since the visit of her predecessor S.M. Krishna in 2012.
     
    The Congress, referring to the NSAs meet, sought to know what made the government effect a "fundamental departure" from the position conveyed to parliament with regard to engagement with Islamabad and asked it to take parliament into confidence.
     
    "The prime minister and the government should inform the house about the developments and reasons which have made the government make a fundamental departure from the position as was conveyed to this house in the last session with regard to India's engagement with Pakistan," party leader Anand Sharma said in the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour.]
     
     
    On Sushma Swaraj's visit to Pakistan, he said it was "disrespect of parliament as parliament is not taken into confidence".
     
    Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi then said a statement would be made by the foreign minister on December 10.
     
    Meanwhile former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah sought to know if India was "made to talk Kashmir" as there was no mention of 'K' word when the two prime ministers had met at Ufa.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Ontario Schools Resume With Less Turmoil, But Some Labour Strife Remains

    Ontario Schools Resume With Less Turmoil, But Some Labour Strife Remains
    Ontario schools resume this week in a more stable state than when they closed in June amid the threat of massive teachers' strikes, but it will not be entirely problem-free with work-to-rule campaigns and controversy over a new sex-education curriculum lingering.

    Ontario Schools Resume With Less Turmoil, But Some Labour Strife Remains

    Is Modi Euphoria Over? Markets Decline To Level Last Seen When BJP Leader Won

    Is Modi Euphoria Over? Markets Decline To Level Last Seen When BJP Leader Won
    Monday's stock market decline marks a landmark of sorts for the Narendra Modi government. 

    Is Modi Euphoria Over? Markets Decline To Level Last Seen When BJP Leader Won

    Goa Girl Champ Who Doesn't Know She Quizzed Modi On Live TV

    Goa Girl Champ Who Doesn't Know She Quizzed Modi On Live TV
    The 16-year-old does not really know who the bearded, smiling man she spoke to on September 4 on live television really is.

    Goa Girl Champ Who Doesn't Know She Quizzed Modi On Live TV

    Grim Ending On Frigid River Averted Thanks To B.C. Police Dog Named Duke: RCMP

    Grim Ending On Frigid River Averted Thanks To B.C. Police Dog Named Duke: RCMP
    RCMP say a 26-year-old man was reported missing around noon Wednesday while visiting the Othello Tunnels near the community of Hope.

    Grim Ending On Frigid River Averted Thanks To B.C. Police Dog Named Duke: RCMP

    Indian Government Announces 'One Rank One Pension', Veterans Happy But Stir To Continue

    Indian Government Announces 'One Rank One Pension', Veterans Happy But Stir To Continue
    Putting an end to months of speculation, the government on Saturday announced it will be implementing 'One Rank One Pension' (OROP) for the armed forces.

    Indian Government Announces 'One Rank One Pension', Veterans Happy But Stir To Continue

    Mohan Nath Goswami, India's Real-Life Phantom Kills 10 Terrorists In 11 Days, Dies Fighting

    Mohan Nath Goswami, India's Real-Life Phantom Kills 10 Terrorists In 11 Days, Dies Fighting
    Special Forces commando of the Indian Army has created a unique history of valour and dedication to duty by eliminating 10 terrorists in 11 days before laying down his life in service of the nation in the Kashmir Valley

    Mohan Nath Goswami, India's Real-Life Phantom Kills 10 Terrorists In 11 Days, Dies Fighting