Pakistan will raise all issues of concern in the upcoming foreign secretary level talks between Pakistan and India, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.
“We are finalising dates through diplomatic channels for the upcoming foreign secretary level talks,” said FO spokesman Qazi Khailullah.
The FO spokesman elaborated and stated that the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan during their meeting in Islamabad will finalise a schedule of meetings of various segments of the comprehensive bilateral dialogue in accordance with the joint statement issued on December 9.
“Pakistan and India have serious issues and outstanding disputes that need to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” said Khalilullah while responding to a question.
In reference to Afghanistan, the FO spokesman said that dates are also being finalised for hosting of the first meeting of the quadrilateral coordination committee comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan, US and China in Islamabad, which is expected in the second half of January.
Answering a separate question regarding the presence of the militant Islamic State (IS) group in Pakistan, Khalilullah said that IS has no presence in Pakistan, and the security forces of the country are fully alert and capable of handling any emerging threat.
Last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to Pakistan. The Indian premier was returning back to the sub-continent after inaugurating the new parliament building in Kabul, Afghanistan. The parliament building was touted as a gift from India to Afghanistan.
The last meeting between Modi and Nawaz took place in November on the sidelines of the 21st UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, where the two premiers exchanged pleasantries and had a friendly chat.
