During her two-day visit, she called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and hold talks with her counterpart Sartaj Aziz. The dialogue had eight subjects: Siachen, Sir Creek, Tulbul navigation project, Terrorism and drug trafficking, Economic and commercial cooperation, Promotion of friendly exchanges, Peace and security – and of course, Jammu and Kashmir.
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What diplomats called the “composite dialogue” was stopped after the Mumbai attacks, the “resumed dialogue” was stopped nearly three years ago after the killing of Indian soldiers on the border, and what we have back on the table is the full old menu of India-Pakistan talks, with two new additions: humanitarian issues and religious tourism.
Pakistan has assured India that it will expedite the 26/11 trial that New Delhi has been pressing for as the two countries made a decision to resume the process of dialogue that was stalled following months of high-pitched rhetoric and animosity. She was in Islamabad to attend the multinational “Heart of Asia” conference on Afghanistan.
“It is time that we display the maturity and self- confidence to do business with each other and strengthen regional trade and cooperation”.
Modi and Sharif had an impromptu meeting on the sidelines of the Conference of Parties (CoP-21) Climate Summit in Paris on November 30.
After the Ufa meeting, both prime ministers directed their foreign secretaries to initiate the process of renewing talks, including meetings between the national security advisors of the two countries.
Neither side, however, mentioned whether a proposed cricket series in December and January would go ahead, an omission that Pakistan’s cricket chief said meant the plan was much less likely to happen. The recent visit of Mrs Sushma Swaraj may pave way for the visit of Mr Narendra Modi to Pakistan.
Talking about terrorism it reported that it appears that terrorism will now be the exclusive domain of the two National Security Advisers with Pakistan holding out an assurance that there will be movement on the Mumbai trial which has moved at a snail’s pace. Swaraj, in turn, replied that the Bangkok meeting between the two NSAs showed that the two sides can engage on “difficult issues” in a “constructive” and “non-accusatory” manner. Tensions between Hindu-majority India and mostly Muslim Pakistan risk fueling extremists in South Asia and beyond.
This lobby is traditionally critical of any likely Pakistani intention to enhance trading ties with India or allow its traders overland access to Afghanistan.
“India-Pakistan ties are like a pendulum… the fear is that we might get stuck on old issues (terrorism and Kashmir)”. “Our bilateral relations with Pakistan are important”, Kirby said. They are so powerful there that once the Government of Pakistan handed over administration of Swat Valley to Talibans but due to United States hand stand revoked it. Mrs Sushma Swaraj addressing the Meet said that Afghanistan was putting up courageous fight to meet the Talibans menace.
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The sources said the dialogue process is not disowning the past but taking forward the broad-based dialogue.
