Pakistan on Thursday appointed career diplomat Abdul Basit as its new high commissioner to India. Basit, 55, was earlier tipped to take over as foreign secretary but the government recently made several changes in proposed appointments.
Mahmood, 55, currently Pakistan's ambassador in Turkey, was granted a visa by India on Friday, the sources said.
On Tuesday, Karachi Chamber of Commerce cancelled an event of Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale at the last minute, apparently over his remarks on Pakistan's interference in Kashmir.
As the representative of his government in India, Abdul Basit runs a tight ship at the Pakistan High Commission.
Pakistan on Saturday said dialogue was not a favour by one country to another but a necessity to normalise relations, remarks made in the backdrop of delay in foreign secretary-level talks with India which has made it clear that action on Pathankot terror strike takes the priority.
Talking to reporters in New Delhi, he described the proposed visit of a five-member investigation team of Pakistan to probe the Pathankot terror attack as a "positive development" and hoped they will be able to do their work "productively".
Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit on Wednesday hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to his country during the next SAARC meet would go beyond SAARC issues.
Setting the terms for revival of the composite dialogue process with the Modi government, Pakistan on Monday made it clear that India should not shy away from dealing with "contentious" issues like Jammu and Kashmir and not lay down any preconditions for talks.
Pak is keen to settle all issues with India, including the disputed issue of Jammu and Kashmir through dialogue
Rejecting India's stand that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran, Basit said he was caught in Balochistan and tried for 'espionage and sabotage'.
The Assam Cabinet on Sunday had decided not to register any case against the Congress MP or his British spouse, who the BJP has accused of having ISI links, but instructed the DGP to file an FIR against Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh.
Amidst exchange of barbs, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday struck a conciliatory note saying he wants to establish good relations with India.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi of raising questions on sensitive defence matters in Parliament after his marriage to a British citizen. Sarma alleged that Gogoi's wife, Elizabeth Colburn, has links with the Pakistani establishment, including working for an organisation allegedly a front for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Gogoi has rejected the allegations as "baseless" and said the BJP is trying to divert attention from its own failures.
SAARC summit in Islamabad in jeopardy. A SAARC summit can only take place when leaders of all member countries are present, notes Rajeev Sharma.
Pakistan said on Thursday that India should help it investigate the Mumbai attacks instead of accusing the country's institutions of being involved in the terrorist incident.
Pakistan has welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's willingness to resume bilateral dialogue on all pending issues. "Dr Singh's statement is a welcome reiteration of the understanding reached at the Sharm-El Sheikh summit between Pakistan and India," The Dawn quoted Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit as saying.Basit said Pakistan welcomes India's readiness to discuss all outstanding issues, especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit has criticised Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna for his remarks that any further terror attack on India originating from Pakistani soil would greatly severe relations, said Islamabad cannot be 'bullied' by such statements.
Pakistan will soon discuss the issue of India's alleged involvement in terror activities inside its geographical boundaries with New Delhi, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit has said.Reiterating that the security forces have recovered Indian arms and ammunitions during search operations in South Waziristan, where the military is engaged in an intense battle with the Taliban, Basit blamed India for not taking Islamabad's commitments against terrorism seriously.
Three days after the foreign secretaries meeting, Pakistan on Sunday said it is ready to participate in the composite dialogue process with India provided there are no preconditions from the other side.
"As far as the Indian suggestion is concerned, that will be dealt with according to our own laws and we will respond to India in due course," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told reporters.
Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit said India has not yet officially informed Pakistan government about the development. Basit said the arrest is an "internal matter" and would have no bearing on SAARC activities
Pakistan has denied allegations leveled by Indian Army Chief General VK Singh about the existence of terrorist training camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Needling India, Pakistan on Thursday said that Kashmiri people were resolved to get their right to self-determination and New Delhi should read the 'writing on the wall.'
Pakistan wanted to evolve a roadmap to discuss bilateral issues with India during the recent foreign minister-level talks but the other side was not prepared to do so, its Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said on Sunday.
Ahead of United States President Barack Obama's visit to India, Pakistan insisted that its ties with Washington should not been seen through the prism of US-India relations.
The government feels that it is not the right time for the release of Pakistani prisoners, official sources said. The retaliatory action came as India made it clear that it will be regarded as "premeditated murder" if Pakistan carries out the death sentence "without observing basic norms of law and justice".
Pakistan could grant the Most Favoured Nation status to India by October next year, a senior official of the Foreign Ministry said.
India should demonstrate "seriousness" in implementing its announcements regarding reducing troops in Jammu and Kashmir as a confidence-building measure, Pakistan's Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit said.
Pakistan reacted strongly to the seizure by India of a ship carrying equipment used by Pakistan and Bangladesh for UN peacekeeping missions on Sunday.
Pakistan criticised a multi-billion-dollar agreement finalised by France to sell twonuclear reactors to India, saying the deal would create"mistrust" and have "serious security implications" in South Asia.
Reiterating its concerns over the alleged interference of India in Pakistan through Afghanistan, Pakistan has said that the situation in the region cannot improve unless New Delhi stops its covert activities.Referring to the recent remarks of Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor -- that the Indian Armed forces were ready to fight China and Pakistan simultaneously -- Pakistan said such statements showcased New Delhi's 'hostile intent', which were not helpful.
Reiterating its stance of being committed to conduct a 'transparent' trial of November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks' perpetrators, Pakistan has said that it would analyse the latest dossier provided by India "appropriately".
Pakistan on Thursday said it would welcome any move to resume the composite dialogue process with India stalled since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, but insisted that the talks should be 'result-oriented' and cover all outstanding issues, including Kashmir and sharing of river waters.
Pakistan on Thursday said it will approach upcoming bilateral meetings with India, including one between the two prime ministers, with an 'open mind', in the hope for resumption of the composite dialogue, which have been stalled after the 26/11 attacks. The foreign secretaries will hold talks before a planned meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh.
Rejecting India's concerns over the strategic dialogue between Pakistan and the United States, the Pakistan Foreign Office has said that New Delhi should not have any problem with Islamabad's relations with Washington.
On the eve of foreign secretary-level talks in Thimphu, Pakistan on Saturday came out with a provocative statement saying that India's handling of the Samjhauta Express train bombing case showed that it lacked "courage to unearth culpability of Hindu extremists".
Pakistan has said it is 'free to raise any issue,' including Kashmir, differences over sharing of river waters and India's alleged interference in Balochistan, during the foreign secretary-level talks in New Delhi on February 25.
Pakistan said US President Barack Obama's endorsement of India's bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council would add to the "complexity" of efforts to revamp the world body's most powerful organ.
Pakistan on Thursday expressed hope that United States President Barack Obama would make efforts to resolve the Kashmir problem during his visit to India in November, saying it has always encouraged its 'friends' to use their influence with New Delhi on the issue.
Pakistan has rejected India's stance on occupied Kashmir, saying the dispute over the region was a result of New Delhi's refusal to implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
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