Page 29 - India Pakistan Relations

No formal meeting held between Dar, Jaishankar during SCO meet: Pak FM

Pakistan on Thursday said no formal meeting took place between Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) here last week. "It is customary for delegations in multilateral settings to exchange pleasantries and hold informal conversations over lunch and dinner, especially between the host and the guests who are participating," Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said. "There has been no formal meeting between Pakistan and India at the foreign ministers level, including at the SCO," she said in response to a question at her weekly press briefing here. Jaishankar travelled to Pakistan last week to attend the SCO meeting, becoming the first Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan in nearly a decade. During his visit, Jaishankar and Dar held casual conversations on two occasions, but there was no indication of any thaw in the frosty bilateral relations, according to ...

Kartarpur corridor pact renewed: What is it and what's behind the timing?

India and Pakistan have extended agreement on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for another five years, amid some initial signs of a thaw in relations

India, Pak renew pact on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for next 5 yrs: MEA

India and Pakistan have renewed the agreement on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for the next five years, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Tuesday. In view of the continued requests of the pilgrims regarding the removal of USD 20 service charge levied by Pakistan per pilgrim per visit, India has once again urged Pakistan to not levy any fee or charges on the pilgrims, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. "It has been agreed between India and Pakistan through diplomatic channels to extend the validity of the Agreement on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for a further period of five years," the MEA said. The agreement, signed on October 24, 2019 to facilitate the visit of pilgrims from India to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Narowal in Pakistan through the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, was valid for a period of five years. "Extension of the validity of this agreement will ensure uninterrupted operation of the Corridor for use by the pilgrims from India to .

Nawaz Sharif reaches out to Delhi after Jaishankar's trip to Islamabad

India and Pakistan should "bury" the past and look at the future to live like good neighbours, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday, in remarks seen as an attempt to reach out to New Delhi following Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar's trip to Islamabad this week. In an interaction with a group of Indian journalists, the three-time prime minister and president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N) described Jaishankar's visit as a "good opening" and said both sides should now engage and move forward. Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise trip to Lahore in December 2015, Sharif said he was not happy with the "long-pause" in the ties between the two countries and hoped that both sides should look ahead with a positive approach. "We can't change our neighbours, neither can Pakistan nor can India. We should live like good neighbours," the 74 year-old leader said. When asked whether a bridge builder between the two countries was required, he said .

India, Pakistan should bury past, look ahead, says ex-PM Nawaz Sharif

India and Pakistan should "bury" the past and look ahead to live like good neighbours, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday, describing the Indian foreign minister's trip to Islamabad this week to attend a conclave of the SCO bloc as an "opening". In an interaction with a group of Indian journalists, the three-time former prime minister and president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N) said he was not happy with the "long pause" in the ties and hoped that both sides would look ahead with a positive approach. Jaishankar travelled to Islamabad on Tuesday for a nearly 24-hour trip to attend the conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), becoming the first Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan in the last nine years amid continuing strain in ties. "This is how things should go ahead. We would have liked PM Modi to come but it was good that the Indian foreign minister came. I have said before that we must pick up the threads of our ...

From resuming talks to cricket, what did Jaishankar's Pakistan visit mean?

Govt reportedly views S Jaishankar's visit, the first by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly nine years, as a positive development

India, Pakistan foreign ministers hold informal talks at SCO conclave

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar held casual conversations on two occasions in the last two days, but there was no indication of any thaw in the frosty relations between the two countries, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday. The conversations took place on the sidelines of a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Islamabad. Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described Jaishankar's visit to Islamabad as an "ice breaker". A brief pull-aside took place between Jaishankar and Dar at a dinner reception hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at his residence for the SCO delegates last evening, the sources said. It was joined by Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the brief exchanges figured improving cricketing ties, they said. Naqvi is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). On Wednesday, Jaishankar and Dar sat next to each other at the official lunch following the SCO con

We remain engaged in SCO format: India ahead of EAM's Islamabad visit

India remains actively engaged in various mechanisms of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), New Delhi said on Tuesday, hours before External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar lands in Pakistan to attend a conclave of the influential regional grouping. It will be the first visit by an Indian foreign minister in nearly a decade that comes amid continuing chill in India-Pakistan relations. Pakistan is hosting the two-day SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit meeting on October 15 and 16. The SCO CHG meeting is held annually and focuses on the trade and economic agenda of the Organisation," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. "External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the meeting. India remains actively engaged in the SCO format, including various mechanisms and initiatives within the SCO framework," it said in a brief statement in New Delhi. Shortly after he arrives in Islamabad, Jaishankar is likely to attend a banquet reception to be hos

SCO Summit 2024: All you need to know about key attendees, agenda and more

SCO Summit in Pakistan: The summit is set to commence in Islamabad on October 15-16, with the aim to address critical issues such as regional security, economic cooperation, and combating terrorism

EAM Jaishankar, seven PMs to attend SCO meet at Islamabad next week

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and prime ministers of China and Russia among others will attend the two-days SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting here next week to discuss the ongoing cooperation in economy, trade and environment, Pakistan said on Saturday. Pakistan is hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting on October 15 and 16 and in his capacity as the current Chair of the CHG, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will preside over the summit, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. SCO member States will be represented by the Prime Ministers of China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as the First Vice President of Iran and External Affairs Minister of India, it said. The CHG meeting will discuss ongoing cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, environment, socio-cultural linkages and review the performance of the Organisation. The leaders will adopt important ...

Pakistan rules out bilateral talks with India during Jaishankar's visit

Pakistan on Monday ruled out talks with India on bilateral issues during the upcoming visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Islamabad to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. India on Friday announced that Jaishankar would lead a delegation to Pakistan to participate in the SCO summit in Islamabad. However, Jaishankar ruled out chances of bilateral talks during his visit to Pakistan. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Pakistan will host the 23rd Council of Heads of Government of the SCO member States from October 15 to 16 in Islamabad. Responding to a query about the visit of Jaishankar and India-Pakistan ties, she said Pakistan has received an "intimation officially with regards to this visit" and it was ready to welcome all members. "Regarding your question about bilateral meetings, I would like you to refer to the remarks made by the Indian Minister for External Affairs on 5th of October, in which he maintained that his vi

Jaishankar's Pak visit will likely start better relation: Farooq Abdullah

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday expressed hope that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's upcoming visit to Islamabad for the SCO meeting would mark the start of a better relationship between India and Pakistan. India on Friday announced that Jaishankar will travel to Pakistan to attend a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in mid-October. It is the first time in nearly nine years that India's external affairs minister will travel to Pakistan even as the ties between the two neighbours have remained frosty over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. Pakistan is hosting the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting on October 15 and 16. "I am hopeful that they will be able to talk on every issue. Economic issues are very important for all of us, the world itself. And I am sure they will talk on bilateral matters also. "I hope they will be friendly and they will try to achieve better understanding

'No bilateral talks': Jaishankar on his upcoming visit to Pakistan for SCO

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to visit Pakistan for the SCO summit on October 15-16, marking the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to the Islamic nation in nearly a decade

Pak terrorists continue using US weapons in J&K. How is Army responding?

American M4 assault rifles and night-vision sights, left behind after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, continue being recovered from slain Pakistan-backed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir

Pakistan's ISI gets a new chief in Lt Gen Md Asim Malik: Who is he?

Gen Malik will succeed Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum, who was appointed as DG ISI in 2021 by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan

BSF foils infiltration bid in RS Pura sector of Jammu, recovers arms

The weapons recovered include an AK 47 rifle, two pistols, and 4 and 9 mm rounds of magazine, said the BSF

Kulpreet Yadav's Haji Pir recounts soldiers' bravery in key 1965 war battle

A book on the Haji Pir battle would be incomplete without mentioning the Tashkent agreement. The author refers to it upfront

India's 'uninterrupted dialogue' with Pakistan is over, says Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S says India will not overlook terrorism to improve relations with Pakistan

Era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan over, says Jaishankar

Jaishankar said that there are strong people-to-people ties with Afghanistan

Pak extends invitation to PM Modi for upcoming SCO summit in Islamabad

Notably, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier denied the media reports suggesting that PM Modi would not attend the upcoming SCO summit