A day after Pakistan refused to allow India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) team to visit the country to probe Pathankot terror attack, a high-level meeting was held in Delhi on Friday. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval along with the Intelligence Bureau Director met Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss Pakistan’s stubborn stand.
Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit had on Thursday said the bilateral peace process with India stands "suspended" and indicated that NIA investigators won’t be allowed to visit his country to probe Pathankot attack. Basit said that the dialogue was presently suspended, something India has been reluctant to address.
However, countering the Pakistan High Commissioner's assertion that the visit by Pakistani JIT was not on reciprocity, India said before the team's visit, both sides had agreed that it would be on the basis of reciprocity. "We have seen comments by the Pakistani High Commissioner on the visit of the JIT Team to investigate the terrorist attack on the Pathankot Air Base that have reference to reciprocity.
Reacting to Basit's remarks that the Indo-Pak peace process stands "suspended", Swarup referred to the press conference of Pakistani Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nafees Zakaria in which he said, "I have stated this many times that both countries are in contact with each other and it has been reiterated from both sides that modalities are being worked out.
"I will again state that negotiations are the best means to resolve the issues. I have read the statement of the Indian Foreign Secretary you are referring to and in that also there was indication that the talks would take place." He was asked about the status of Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level talks.
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