Indo-Pak FS-level talks likely next month: Pak official

The foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India are expected to meet next month and the two sides are in touch for finalising the new dates amid some "forward movement", a senior Pakistani official said today.
A senior official of the Foreign Office said on anonymity that there was some "forward movement" and the foreign secretaries are expected to meet in February.
"The two sides are in touch over the issue of the talks and dates would be announced after mutual agreement," he said.
India-Pakistan Foreign Secretary level talks, scheduled for January 15 here, were deferred by both the countries mutually in the wake of the Pathankot terror attack.

India has blamed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) for the attack and has been seeking action against the terror outfit and its chief Masood Azhar.
India had sought action by Pakistan on the evidence provided for apprehending the JeM terrorists suspected to have been involved in the January 2 attack. India has linked the fate of the talks to action by Pakistan.

After internal deliberations, the Pakistan government initiated a crackdown on JeM and reportedly held Azhar, believed to be the mastermind behind the attack, besides shutting down several seminaries associated with the outlawed group. The Pakistan government has however not confirmed Azhar's detention.

It also formed a team to investigate the evidence provided by India about JeM's alleged involvement.
Asserting that as per the 1991 agreement, essential
information concerning the nature of cargo and passengers is required to be furnished in respect of military aircraft, Swarup said requests for overflight clearance from the Government of Pakistan were received in a couple of cases without that.
"Despite several reminders, including in a meeting between Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner and Joint Secretary (in-charge of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) in New Delhi on 9 November 2016, Pakistan did not provide the information. Our expectation is that Pakistan will respect the requirements mutually agreed in bilateral agreements," he said.

He also noted that in another recent case, when Pakistan had provided all necessary information for Gulfstream aircraft of Pakistan Air Force proposing to carry a VIP delegation from Lahore to Colombo and back the overflight permission was provided expeditiously.
On ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Swarup said when the Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner was summoned yesterday, he was told that despite calls for restraint, Pakistani forces committed 27 ceasefire violations between 16 and 21 November, 2016, by employing artillery and 120 millimetre heavy mortars against Indian posts. These violent acts constitute a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement of 2003, he said.

"The government also protested the deliberate targeting by the Pakistan army of 18 villages along the Line of Control during the period 16 to 21 November, 2016 which has resulted in a non-fatal casualty besides causing extensive damage to public and private property and the displacement of civilian population," he added.
The government reaffirmed its concerns about the safety and well-being of Sepoy Chandu Babulal Chavan who had inadvertently crossed over to the Pakistani side more than seven weeks back, Swarup said.
"We expect early repatriation and safe return of Sepoy Chandu Babulal Chavan back to India," he said.