In the backdrop of statements regarding "peaceful resolution" coming from across the border, it is to be noted that External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be attending the ninth ministerial conference of the “Heart of Asia” in Tajikistan capital Dushanbe on March 30.
The Foreign Ministers of 15 nations will be attending the conference and this will be after so many years that the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan will be under one roof. There is, however, no official communication yet on whether the two Foreign Ministers will hold talks or meet on the sidelines of the conference.
This assumes significance in the wake of the recent assuaging messages from Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday said it is time for Islamabad and New Delhi to “bury the past and move forward”.
Earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan too had voiced the same opinion and said that New Delhi would have to make the first move to normalise ties with Islamabad.
In February, India and Pakistan in a joint statement said: “A strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and all other sectors”.
The decision was taken after the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMO) of both the countries agreed after a discussion on February 22.
Since then the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has maintained the stance that “India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan."
"We (India) have always maintained that we are committed to addressing issues, if any, in a peaceful bilateral manner,” MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said.
(With inputs from Ashish Kumar Singh)