ISLAMABAD — Terming India’s counter-invitation to Pakistan on Kartarpur Corridor as ‘childish’ instead of accepting its offer to finalize negotiations for the planned opening, the Foreign Office on Thursday said the step would be reciprocated with a mature response.
“I can assure that our reply to India’s childish invitation will be mature and well-considered,” the
Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal in response to a question about the fate of negotiations on Kartarpur Corridor.
Pakistan on January 21 had shared a draft agreement with India along with an invitation to initiate
negotiations for its finalization besides appointing the Director General South Asia as a focal point to sort out modalities for the opening of Corridor.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/pakistan-invites-indian-officials-to-finalise-kartarpur-corridor-agreement/
India, avoiding a tough choice between rejecting the invitation and accepting Pakistan’s offer for talks, instead asked the Pakistani officials to visit New Delhi for talks on the issue with proposed dates of February 26 and March 7.
Faisal said India was pursuing the policy of ignoring Pakistan’s goodwill gestures, similar to its earlier response to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s letter to resume dialogue between two neighbouring countries on all outstanding issues.
Muhammad Faisal categorically rejected the presence of Daesh in Pakistan. “In the best of my knowledge, there is no Daesh in Pakistan,” he said when asked to comment on the recent shootout in Sahiwal where a member of the terrorist outfit was reportedly killed by the officials of Punjab’s Counter Terrorism Department.
‘Trump expressed desire to meet PM Imran’
Faisal also confirmed that US Senator Lindsey Graham – during his recent visit to Islamabad – conveyed that President Donald Trump has expressed his desire to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Dates for the possible meeting have not been decided yet and though Washington and Islamabad have started discussing a possible meet between the leaders, preparations for such a visit are pending, he added
