POKHARA, Nepal: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz today held bilateral talks on the margins of the SAARC Ministerial meeting here.
The Pathankot terror attack and all bilateral issues are understood to have been discussed by the two leaders.
The bilateral engagement between Ms Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart is the first high-level formal interaction between India and Pakistan after the surprise Lahore visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the birthday of his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the Christmas Day.
The Foreign Secretary-level talks scheduled between the two countries after Mr Modi’s visit could not take place as just a week about the visit, a terror attack on the Pathankot airbase, carried out by suspected Jaish-e-Mohhamad operatives of the Pakistan-based extremist outfit took place derailing the renewed peace process. The strike left seven Indian security personnel dead.
Last year, the two countries decided to resume the stalled peace process, decided at Ufa by Mr Modi and Mr Sharif. First the National Security Advisors of the two countries met at Bangkok and later Ms Swaraj visited Islamabad where she made formal announcement of the decision to start talks. The process gained further momentum with Mr Modi’s Lahore visit, but hit a road block with the Pathankot terror attack.(Agencies)
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