Setting the tone for their talks on Wednesday, Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan on Tuesday expressed optimism and desire to improve ties which have been strained for the past few months.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is in Islamabad to attend the Heart of Asia 5th Ministerial Meeting on Afghanistan, will call on Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and hold a brief meeting with his Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Wednesday.
“I have come with the message that ties between the two countries should be good and move forward. It is necessary and appropriate for me to hold talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Adviser Sartaj Aziz to discuss bilateral issues. The effort will be to take forward bilateral ties,” Sushma said after reaching the Pakistani capital late on Tuesday evening.
Aziz too said he was expecting a “good and positive outcome from the meeting”.
However, sources in the Ministry of External Affairs said the meetings with Sharif and Aziz are part of protocol and there is no scope for a structured or composite dialogue at this stage. However, sources said Sushma’s meeting with the Pakistani leadership will open channels for the beginning of composite talks.
The two-day Heart of Asia conference, an annual gathering of Asian and other countries, with focus on Afghanistan began on Monday.
Sushma has a packed schedule during the two-day visit to Pakistan where she will represent India at the ministerial-level meeting. After reaching Islamabad, the Minister met officials of the Indian Embassy and later attended a dinner hosted by Sartaj Aziz for the ministers attending the multilateral conference, where she was seated next to Sartaj Aziz.
On Wednesday morning Sushma will attend the ministerial conference and that will be followed by a meeting with Aziz at 5 pm. She will call on Nawaz Sharif in the evening before boarding a flight back to New Delhi.
Meanwhile, in Islamabad, Sharif held a high-level meeting of top security and civil officials on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, National Security Adviser lieutenant-General (Retired) Naseer Janjua, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, Sartaj Aziz and other officials, according to an official statement from the Pakistani Government.
In the meeting, Janjua gave a briefing about his recent talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval in Bangkok, in which the Foreign Secretaries of both the countries were also present, the statement said.
The agenda of the fifth Heart of Asia conference was also discussed at the meeting. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s visit to Pakistan was also discussed.
After chairing the meeting, Sharif held one-on-one talks with the Army chief to discuss security issues since the Pakistani Army controls the security policy and analysts say its consent is key to exploring improvement of ties with India and Afghanistan.
The ‘Heart of Asia’ conference provides an occasion for leaders of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan to discuss regional issues and some of contentious bilateral problems on the sidelines. The conference is aimed at enhancing cooperation for countering security threats and promoting connectivity in the region.
The high-ranking delegations from 14 participating states, 17 supporting countries and 12 international and regional organisations are participating in the conference.