Basit's NIA comment won't help improve relations: Minister

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday said Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit's statement on not allowing an NIA team to visit Islamabad was wrong and won't help improve bilateral relations.

"We reject the high commissioner's statement. What he has said is wrong. It will not help improve relations between the two countries," the minister of state for home told reporters here.

Basit on Thursday said bilateral talks between India and Pakistan were "suspended" and that there was no question of allowing a National Investigation Agency team to visit Islamabad for the probe into the January 2 attack at the Pathankot airbase in Punjab.

Asked about a meeting between the two foreign secretaries, Basit had said: "There is no meeting scheduled for now. I think at present the peace process is suspended.

"India is not ready as yet," Basit had said, but quickly added that "we can only resolve issues through dialogue".

"The investigation (into the Pathankot attack) is not about reciprocity," he had said.