Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent telephone telephonic conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif and the decision to send Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to Islamabad could prove to be instrumental in thawing the relationship between the two bitter neighbours.
Shortly after Modi's call, a senior Pakistani official said that the country was ready for a "meaningful and serious dialogue" with India to sort out various issues that disrupt the peace and harmony between the two countries.
Pakistan's advisor on foreign affairs and national security, Sartaj Aziz, said that India's friendly gesture was a result of continuous persuasion by the UN and a few other countries. The decision to send Jaishankar to Islamabad to hold talks on matters affecting the bond between the two countries has been termed as a noble step towards building goodwill between India and Pakistan.
However, Zee News citing a Daily Times report, said that the success of the meaningful dialogue could not be presumed at such an early stage and had to be left to time and the foreign secretaries of the two countries.
"I am cautiously optimistic now that the visit has been resumed. Obviously there would be discussion on the agenda scope of the dialogue, modalities and the timeline. Once the dialogue process starts, it gathers its own momentum," Aziz was quoted as saying.
Aziz, confirming the persuasion of the UN to start a dialogue between the two countries, said that there would be no change in Pakistan's policy regarding Kashmir, however, the two countries would hold talks on other major issues impacting both India and Pakistan.
The advisor on foreign affairs added that former President Pervez Musharraf's four-point formula, which dealt with Kashmir, an issue that has since ages been the major bone of contention between the two countries, was no longer applicable.
Aziz added that the tension which prevails along the international border between India and Pakistan could no longer be overlooked. He mentioned that Pakistan has strengthened its policies on various issues including the greatly discussed Kashmir issue.
