New Delhi: India on Thursday said “no bilateral meeting” had been planned between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the forthcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on June 13-14. However, there are indications that an impromptu informal “pull-aside” meeting between the two Prime Ministers is still a possibility. The developments indicate India is still cautious about engaging Pakistan and does not want to rush into a dialogue process until Pakistan takes tangible steps against terrorist outfits operating from its soil or territory controlled by it against India.
External affairs ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday: “To the best of my knowledge there is no bilateral meeting being planned between Prime Minister (Modi) and PM of Pakistan on the sidelines of the SCO summit.”
The MEA also said no meeting was scheduled between Pakistan foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood — who is in New Delhi now on a private visit to take his family back to Pakistan — and either foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale or new external affairs minister S. Jaishankar.
Before his appointment as foreign secretary, Mr Mahmood was his country’s high commissioner to India. Mr Mahmood — whose children were studying in New Delhi — is here to take his family back to Pakistan. The MEA spokesman noted Mr Mahmood was in New Delhi on a “personal” visit.
In response to another question on reports of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed not being allowed to lead Id-ul-Fitr prayers in Lahore, the MEA spokesman wondered whether this was merely for show or whether Pakistan was indeed serious about taking action against terrorists who are “roaming freely” there. “Pakistan will have to walk the talk,” he added.
