India’s home minister to visit Pakistan next week

With Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh scheduled to visit Pakistan next week for the SAARC meeting, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Friday said dialogue with Islamabad will yield no results.

This will be the first visit by a top Indian political functionary to Pakistan after the January 2 Pathankot airbase attack carried out by militants believed to be from across the border.

The revelation on Saeed – wanted by India for the Mumbai attacks – was made in a statement released by the Afghan Defence Ministry during the trilateral high-level military meeting between Afghanistan, Pakistan and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation officials. Noted Indian human rights activist and journalist Teesta Setalvad while addressing a ceremony the other day said Kashmir dispute can not be resolved through use of brute force, advising the Indian government to pursue the course of unconditional dialogue for settlement of the issue.

Protests broke out across Kashmir Valley on July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with Indian security forces.

According to reports, Rajnath Singh may raise the issue of terrorism, given the fact that cross-border activities have been on the rise since the past couple of weeks. He urged the prime minister to appoint a deputy foreign minister to deal with the atrocities of the Indian occupation forces in held Kashmir.

However, India has squarely accused Pakistan of a hand in creating the unrest.

The three-tier meeting will begin at the joint secretary- level on August 2 and then move on to Secretary and Home Minister-level meetings.

It is likely to focus on strengthening networking among police authorities of SAARC member-countries and enhancing information-sharing among law enforcement agencies.

Sources in government told TOI that home minister will be going to Pakistan for the two-day conference and may also have bilateral meetings with senior figures in the Nawaz Sharif government.

Hafiz Saeed said Have you seen the pictures of the procession when lakhs of Kashmiris came to the streets?