New delhi, February 18: With India making it clear that the forthcoming talks with the Pakistan foreign secretary on February 25 would not resume the composite dialogue and instead focus on terrorism, the Pakistan high commissioner met with the Indian foreign secretary on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, external affairs minister SM Krishna said in an interview, “Let us be very, very clear that the composite dialogue is suspended. Composite dialogue is not being renewed…the brief to the foreign secretary is that terror would be focal point.”
According to officials, Pakistan high commissioner Shahid Malik on Wednesday met foreign secretary Nirupama Rao for preparatory discussions.
This will be the first significant official-level standalone meeting between the two countries after India suspended composite dialogue following the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.
India insists it will only raise the issue of Pakistan’s action on terror groups on its soil at the talks. But, Pakistan wants wider discussions, including Jammu and Kashmir.
India had suspended the composite dialogue process after the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.
—-Agencies