Pakistan asks Sushma Swaraj to attend Afghan meet

Amid high tensions, Pakistan has invited external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj for a crucial regional conference on Afghanistan to be held here next month.

If New Delhi accepts the invitation, it could give a chance to the two countries to discuss bilateral issues on the sidelines and defuse the tension.

The conference will be held in Islamabad on December 7 and 8. Representatives from Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the UAE will attend the meeting.

Relations between Pakistan and India are at the lowest ebb these days as the two sides blame each other for firing along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary.

The growing tension saw cancellation of bilateral meetings and a war of words between the arch rivals. Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi only chose to wave at each other, despite staying in the same hotel in September during the United National General Assembly. Later, Pakistan handed evidences of Indian involvement in terrorism-related incidents in the country to the UN and Washington.

The two nations are in contact through back channel but there has hardly been any positive news for peace lovers on both sides of the border, apart from some statements here and there.

Officials said a formal invitation has been sent to India and 25 other countries for the Heart of Asia ministerial meeting on Afghanistan. The Heart of Asia conference is primarily convened to discuss the current situation in Afghanistan with particular focus on helping the war-torn country’s economy. Earlier, Prime Minister Sharif had said that war with India was not an option. He said his government desired friendly ties with India, all its neighbours and the world at large for sustainable development.

The Premier wished to resolve all the outstanding issues with India through dialogue as he believed the use of force could only worsen the situation.