Pakistan, India foreign secretaries to meet in January

Islamabad, Dec 26  Pakistan and India have agreed to hold foreign secretary level talks early next year to finalise the schedule and terms for the resumption of a comprehensive dialogue.

“Both leaders have agreed the two countries’ foreign secretaries will meet in Islamabad in the middle of January to finalise the schedule for resumption of talks,” Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said on Saturday, according to Radio Pakistan.

The arch rivals have also expressed the desire to move forward the dialogue process which was at a standstill as relations between the two soured.

The decision comes following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brief surprise visit to Lahore on Friday, where he stopped on his way back to New Delhi from Kabul.

“Major political parties in Pakistan welcomed the goodwill visit of the Indian prime minister to Pakistan,” Aziz said, adding that, “major political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, had the consensus on peace and enhanced people-to-people contacts between the two countries.”

Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah also said that both prime ministers agreed to enhance cooperation and work together to establish good neighbourly relations.