‘Pakistan agreed to Indian team visit’

Experts feel that India’s external affairs ministry, by its statement, may be trying to hint at a divergence of opinion between Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit, who some believe is the Pakistan Army’s nominee, and the foreign ministry that works under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, on the issue of the status of talks with India.

On the issue of “reciprocity”, the MEA also contested the high commissioner’s view, and said: “We have seen the comments by the Pakistani high commissioner on the visit of the JIT to investigate the terrorist attack on the Pathankot airbase that have reference to reciprocity. The ministry would like to clarify that on March 26, 2016, before the visit of the JIT, the Indian high commission formally conveyed to the Pakistani foreign ministry that the terms of reference ‘are broadly agreed to with the proviso that these would be on the basis of reciprocity and followed in accordance with extant legal provisions’. Subsequently, the JIT visited from March 27 to April 1, 2016.”

The MEA added: “The high commissioner also stated that he thought the peace process is suspended. The ministry notes that in response to a question at his press conference today evening, the spokesman of the Pakistani foreign ministry said: ‘Your question implies whether the foreign secretary-level talks will take place or not. I have stated this many times that both countries are in contact with each other and it has been reiterated from both sides that modalities are being worked out. I will again state that negotiations are the best means to resolve the issues. I have read the statement of the Indian foreign secretary.”