Nine weeks after their talks for rebuilding trust hit a wall, the foreign ministers of the two countries are likely to meet next week on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly session.
The offer for renewing contacts has come from India whose delegation led by External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna was accused of scuttling the July 15 foreign ministers' meeting in Islamabad.
Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal conveyed the offer at a recent meeting with Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir.
Diplomatic sources said the government was considering the Indian proposal and a decision was expected in a couple of days.
Positive vibes from Delhi have encouraged the foreign policy managers who appear optimistic about the likelihood of the meeting.
“There is a very strong possibility of a meeting of the foreign ministers in New York,” an official said.
A diplomat told this correspondent there was evidence to suggest that India was moving towards accommodating Pakistan's concerns.
The optimism stems from Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupuma Rao's statement at Harvard University in which she said “India was determined to persevere in its dialogue with Pakistan to resolve outstanding issues so that our region will be stable and so that the rationale of economic development in an atmosphere of peace, for all of South Asia, remains our steadfast goal.”
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said his government had decided to engage with Pakistan.
At the centre of this opportunity for resumption of contacts is a $25 million Indian aid for flood-affected people. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani sent five crates of mangoes to Mr Singh last month as a token of gratitude.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will be in New York till Sept 30th, while Mr Krishna is scheduled to return to Delhi on Sept 29. Therefore, the meeting will most likely take place before next Tuesday.
The foreign ministers' talks in July ended in a deadlock because of Indian insistence on not discussing Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen and issues pertaining to peace and security, particularly the strategic restraint regime.
The Indian side, sources say, wanted to keep talks on the three subjects open ended. The Indians reportedly told their Pakistani counterparts that these issues would be taken up at 'appropriate time'.
An official said Pakistan could agree to return to the talks if the Indians were willing to commit to a roadmap covering Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen and peace and security, in addition to issues on which both countries had agreed, like commerce and trade, culture, Sir Creek, terrorism and confidence-building measures on Kashmir.
Chances of a meeting have been brightened up by Ms Rao's statement that India is ready to “discuss all the outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir”.
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