Pak not expecting any ‘breakthrough’ during Feb 25 bilateral talks

ISLAMABAD - : While India and Pakistan prepare for foreign secretary-level talks scheduled to be held on February 25 in New Delhi, expectations are not high for any ‘breakthrough’ during the deliberations.

Pakistani officials believe that the talks would largely be an exploratory exchange of views in the absence of an understanding between the two sides on the need for having genuine conversation.

Sources privy to the Foreign Office (FO) said Islamabad’s policy would be to remain positive during the talks, and try to have ‘a frank and all inclusive dialogue’ on the status of bilateral relations.

“There is no fixed agenda and we’ll discuss full spectrum of our relations including the longstanding issues like Kashmir and more pressing matters like water disputes,” The Dawn quoted an official, as saying.

Pakistan’s seven-member delegation, which would leave for New Delhi on Wednesday, includes officials from the FO, and also officers from water and power ministries.

The United States, which has been working hard to bring India and Pakistan to the talking table, is also aware about the difficulties of making both the neighbouring nations arrive at some conclusion.

US Under-Secretary for Defence Policy Michèle Flournoy, recently, called upon both Islamabad and New Delhi to show ‘political courage to overcome hiccups in bilateral relations.’ (ANI)