Foreign secretary-level talks out until Pak makes progress in Pathankot probe

Following see-sawing developments with regard to the probe of the January 2016 Pathankot Air Base terror attack, talks between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan have been ruled out for the present.

According to top official sources, the foreign secretaries will meet only after the Special Investigation Team from Pakistan arrives in India and makes concrete progress in the probe.

The sources also said that India and Pakistan will have informal chats during closed door South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation sessions.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on the sidelines of the SAARC ministerial meeting in Pokhra, Nepal, where she will reportedly raise the Pathankot terror attack.

Meanwhile, the 37th session of SAARC council of Ministers meet in Pokhra is yet again focussed on India and Pakistan.

Foreign secretaries of both countries have met many times here so far, but no structured discussions have taken place.

They met at the SAARC foreign secretaries dinner on Tuesday, and according to sources, it was not more than a chit chat on T20 and other less vexing issues. They had a very brief informal tete-a tete at breakfast on Wednesday morning.

All eyes are on the meeting between Sushma Swaraj and Sartaj Aziz that could take place either on Wednesday evening on the sidelines of the SAARC foreign ministers’ dinner or after the SAARC sessions.