ISLAMABAD: Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Islamabad next week to attend a meeting of Saarc interior ministers, but chances of a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan are remote because of heightened tensions over Kashmir.

Both Pakistan’s Foreign Office and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday confirmed that Mr Singh would attend the Saarc interior ministers event being hosted by Pakistan.

The ministers will explore the possibility of expanding regional cooperation on security issues, in addition to assessing the progress made in the previously agreed cooperative arrangements.

Mr Singh’s visit is particularly important because it is happening at a time when the already strained relations are under further stress because of Indian suppression of the latest uprising in held Kashmir that has left about 50 people dead since July 9, when protests erupted over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhanuddin Wani.

New Delhi plays down prospects of Rajnath’s meeting with Nisar

Pakistan has been extending moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri struggle. July 20 was observed as a ‘black day’ to protest Indian atrocities and a diplomatic effort has been launched to highlight the plight of Kashmiris.

“We have taken up the issue very forcefully. You are well aware of the level at which this issue has been taken up, as well as the strong sentiments of all Pakistanis. The adviser (on foreign affairs) has sent letters to the secretary general of the United Nations, the president of the UN Security Council, the Human Rights Commissioner in Geneva and the secretary general of OIC,” FO spokesman Nafees Zakaria said at his weekly media briefing while recalling diplomatic efforts being undertaken in support of the uprising in India-held Kashmir.

These diplomatic efforts irk the Indian government, which sees it as interference in its internal affairs and support for ‘terrorism’.

Mr Zakaria, while explaining Pakistani reaction to Indian actions in held Kashmir, said: “Kashmir remains at the centre of Pakistan-India relations. Pakistan has a principled position on the issue of Kashmir, which is: Pakistan extends unflinching moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiris’ movement for self-determination; we condemn atrocious treatment and blatant violations of Kashmiris’ rights at the hands of Indian forces in IOK; and settlement of Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.”

The interior ministers’ meeting will be preceded by interior secretaries’ meeting on Aug 3 and a meeting of Saarc immigration authorities on Aug 2. Both events will be attended by Indian officials.

India has, however, played down the prospects of a meeting between the interior ministers of Pakistan and India during Mr Rajnath’s trip.

“There is no such proposal [about a bilateral meeting]. He is going there for a multilateral event,” Indian external affa­i­rs ministry’s spokesman Vikas Swarup said in response to a question about the possibility of Mr Rajnath meeting Pakis­tani leaders during his Islamabad visit.

“Our participation is in the context of our ‘neighbourhood first’ policy and our commitment to regional cooperation within the Saarc framework. The meeting also provides an opportunity for us to underline the high importance we attach to achieving forward movement on security cooperation in the region,” Mr Swarup said about Indian participation in the event.

Pakistan’s FO spokesman too gave a similar impression. “On such occasions, there is an expectation of meetings on the sidelines. However, I am not aware if there is any between Pakistan and India on the table,” he said.

The spokesman said Kashmir would be the core issue in any dialogue with India, whenever it took place, adding that in case of any such meeting, “issues of concern” would be raised with a view to working towards their solution.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2016