The much-awaited foreign secretary level talks between India and Pakistan have been rescheduled as New Delhi wants to wait and watch developments amid reports of detention of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar. Sources say both the neighbouring countries have mutually agreed to hold the talks later. They have agreed to hold them in the “very near future”, as “there is no point in delaying the talks indefinitely as that will be counter-productive.”
It was also said that Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhary was “not surprised” when Indian counterpart S Jaishankar suggested the meeting be delayed, he in fact, agreed to the change. The telephone conversation between Jaishankar and Chaudhary took place shortly after National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval returned from Paris and briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his “assessment” of the action taken by the Pakistan government. India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Jaishankar joined the meeting, where they discussed the options ahead. While a later date has not been finalised, both the sides are under deliberation. Pakistan government sources said Chaudhary is busy with the Quadrilateral Coordination Group meeting on Afghanistan, which includes China and the US, till January 18. “A date after January 20 will be suitable,” a source in Islamabad said.
“Since Doval and Pakistan’s NSA Nasser Khan Janjua were in touch over the last two weeks, he had a clear idea of the action being taken on the ground,” the source continued. “PM’s message to Doval and Jaishankar was clear: trust but verify. That was the underlying message under which they were working,” said sources. Officials stressed that much will depend on the action taken by Pakistan in the coming days and whether Delhi will be convinced. Sources said that India has sought copies of FIRs and sections or laws under which the Jaish-e-Muhammad members have been apprehended. “Pakistan has been asked to provide documentary and supporting evidence, including their photos in custody, to substantiate their statements and claims of action.”
Without concrete cases against the individuals linked to the terrorist attack in Pathankot, it will be difficult for the government to send the Foreign Secretary to Islamabad. However, the meeting between the Foreign Secretaries will not be linked to the visit of Pakistan's Special Investigation Team. “It has been decided that the two things will be kept separate, and will not influence each other,” officials said. Many also feel the NSA-level talks should not be announced before it takes place. “The template being considered is the manner in which the NSAs met in Bangkok, without any prior information or announcement. That meeting was held without any pressure or external influences of public opinion, and is considered to be a successful model for future interaction.”
Pak detains JeM chief Masood Azhar
In a major step to address Indian concerns, Pakistan has announced the arrest of several Jaish-e-Mohammad members believed responsible for the January 2 attack. Reports said that JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar and his brother Abdul Rehman Rauf have also been detained.
Officials said Azhar, the dreaded terrorist and two other terrorists who were released from an Indian prison in 1999 in exchange for release of 155 passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines plane, has been taken into protective custody after raids on several JeM offices.
An official Pakistani statement said Jaish offices were being traced and sealed. “Further investigations are underway,” a statement issued after a high level meeting chaired by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif which was also attended by the country’s Army chief Raheel Sharif, said.
In order to conduct further investigations into the incident, Pakistan was also thinking of sending a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to Pathankot in consultation with the Government of India. The reports also said that several seminaries run by JeM have been closed down.
