Indian home minister visits Pakistan next week

Saarc conference in Islamabad

NEW DELHI: India’s home minister will travel to Pakistan next week for a one-day regional meeting, New Delhi said on Thursday, as tensions flared between the nuclear-armed rivals over unrest in the disputed Kashmir.

Rajnath Singh will attend a meeting of home ministers from countries belonging to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) in Islamabad but will not hold a one-on-one with his Pakistani counterpart, the Indian Foreign Ministry said.

It comes days after India lashed out at Pakistan, accusing its neighbour of fanning violent protests in Indian-held Kashmir that have claimed more than 50 lives this month.

“There is no such proposal (for a bilateral meeting),” foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said in New Delhi. “We want a peaceful, cooperative relation with Pakistan. We are prepared to discuss all outstanding issues with Pakistan but in an atmosphere free of terror and violence,” he said, without specifying which issues would be raised in the August 4 meeting.

The Saarc group includes India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The Indian-held Kashmir has seen massive protests since the killing on July 8 of popular young freedom fighter leader Burhan Wani in a gunfight with soldiers. –AFP

INP adds: It was reported that Singh will hold meetings with Pakistani authorities and discuss bilateral terms. It will be the first visit of any Indian lawmaker to Pakistan ever since the Pathankot airbase attack in the Indian Punjab claimed lives of seven army personnel in January.

Days before the report, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj alleged Islamabad of sponsoring terrorism and said that Pakistan’s dream to annex Kashmir will never be realised.

Singh’s visit’s announcement has come two days after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that no dialogue with India was possible in present circumstances. He was referring to the atrocities being committed in the occupied Kashmir.