Indian envoy in Islamabad says foreign secretary level talks still on

“The metro train project in Delhi had faced similar criticism the Orange Line Metro Train project in Lahore”, said Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale in a meeting with Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday.

“I cannot give any specific date for the Secretary-degree talks however Foreign Secretaries from each nations are in fixed contact”, Bambawaly stated, as per the report.

Asserting that “Kashmir is integral part of India and liberation of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) is the issue which has to be solved”, Blackman said, “the accession of Kashmir with India was final because the “Instrument of Accession” was signed by none less than the then ruler of Jammu and Kashmir on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir”.

The statement has come at a time when the tensions between the two countries are high after the Pathankot Airbase attack in the Indian Punjab.

When asked to comment on Pakistan and Afghanistan relations, the Indian envoy said both the countries should have good relations.

Indian High Commissioner stressed upon measures to improve bilateral trade.

The raid on the air base stalled efforts to revive bilateral talks between the nuclear-armed neighbours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled visit to his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, in December.

New Delhi had linked the resumption of the Foreign Secretary-degree talks to motion by Pakistan towards JeM.

The scheduled meeting between foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India was postponed after the 2 January Pathankot attack for which India blames Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Robert John Blackman, MP from Harrow East in the United Kingdom, asserted that “Kashmir is integral part of India and liberation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is the issue which has to be solved”, echoing India’s position.

Later, a high-level meeting reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to cooperate with India on the Pathankot incident.