The US on Thursday reiterated its support for “constructive dialogue” between India and Pakistan to resolve long-standing disputes. At a US State Department press conference, spokesman Ned Price said: “We support constructive dialogue. We support diplomacy between India and Pakistan to resolve long-standing disputes. We are a partner and willing to support this process in any way they see fit.
However, Price said the decision was for India and Pakistan to make.”But ultimately these are decisions that will have to be made by India and Pakistan themselves… It is not for the United States to dictate the ways or manner in which India and Pakistan engage,” a US State Department spokesman said.
Relations between the two countries have been shaky for many years over issues of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, although Islamabad is pushing for the restoration of Article 370 for the former Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir for any talks.
Pakistan on Thursday decided to skip the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) chief justices’ meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi from March 10 to 12, The Express Tribune reported.
“As one of the active members of the SCO, Pakistan regularly participates in all SCO activities and contributes constructively to their outcomes,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement.
Pakistan is now the only country to skip the SCO Supreme Court meeting hosted by India. All other members, including new member Iran, will attend the meeting in person.
India extended an invitation to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, but Islamabad decided on the country’s top judge at the last minute, The Express Tribune reported.
India has also invited Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting to be held in Goa in May this year. Pakistan has yet to decide whether the foreign minister will attend.
“Regarding participation in the upcoming SCO Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers, as I said before, the matter is under consideration and once that decision is made, we will share it with everyone,” she told reporters at a weekly press briefing.
India will also host the SCO summit this year. It remains to be seen whether Pakistan will send its foreign minister in May or whether the prime minister will join the SCO leaders later in India.
Relations between the two countries have been shaky for many years over issues of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, even as Islamabad seeks to restore Article 370.
