By IANS,
New Delhi : Pakistani High Commissioner Shahid Malik Wednesday met Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao here for preparatory discussions ahead of the talks between India and Pakistan later this month.
The envoy visited South Block and met Rao around 12.30 p.m. Officials described the meeting as a preparatory discussion for the talks to be held between the foreign secretaries of the two countries Feb 25 here.
This will be the first significant official-level standalone meeting between the two countries after India suspended composite dialogue following the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.
India insists it will only raise the issue of Pakistan’s action on terror groups on its soil at the talks. But Pakistan wants wider discussions.
There has been considerable political criticism of India’s offer of talks. Critics have pointed out that Pakistan has still not met India’s pre-condition for resuming dialogue by punishing the masterminds of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and dismantling infrastructure of the terror groups.