This will be External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh's first visit to Pakistan after assuming office.
Vikram Doraiswami, a seasoned diplomat, has been appointed as India's new ambassador to China, succeeding Pradeep Kumar Rawat. This decision comes as both countries attempt to improve bilateral relations following a period of strain.
BNP chairman Tarique Rahman called for maintaining law and order and sought cooperation in building a safe and humane Bangladesh after his party's victory in parliamentary elections.
According to sources, India would be invited to the new proposed forum, while countries like Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Afghanistan are expected to be part of the grouping.
There has never been a moment in India's history when it has been so adrift in the world, so confused about what it stands for and against and so humiliated, asserts Aakar Patel.
MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a media briefing that the meeting, however, does not indicate any change in India's policy towards Pakistan.
India, along with some other members, objected to the proposal and due to lack of consensus or concurrence, the meet has been cancelled.
The brief encounter took place at the SAARC Foreign Ministers' meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, which is currently on in New York.
The twice-postponed meeting of SAARC Home Ministers to discuss ways to combat terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking in the region is now likely to be held in Islamabad in June this year.
At the 14th summit, India will become the chairman of the regional grouping for a year, taking over from Bangladesh.
According to top official sources, the foreign secretaries will meet only after the Special Investigation Team from Pakistan arrives in India and makes concrete progress in the probe.
Bangladesh has demanded a public apology and compensation from Pakistan for the 1971 atrocities, raising "historically unresolved issues" during the first foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries in 15 years. Dhaka also asked Islamabad to pay USD 4.3 billion as its share from the combined assets at the time of East Pakistan's split from West Pakistan in 1971 to form an independent Bangladesh.
Under the shadow of the serial blasts in India, foreign ministers of the eight-member South Asian association for Regional Cooperation met on Thursday in Colombo to set the agenda for the weekend summit aimed at boosting trade ties and combating the food and energy crisis.
Former external affairs minister, K Natwar Singh, shares his critique of the Narendra Modi government's foreign policy in this e-mailed interview with Aditi Phadnis. Edited excerpts
Seven months after cancelling talks, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday.
'Militants are taking over the administration. Fundamentalists have been released from jail.'
Pakistan will not engage with India 'until and unless they lift the siege' in Kashmir, it said.
The 2016 SAARC Summit was originally planned to be held in Islamabad on November 15-19, 2016. But after a terror attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18 that year, India expressed its inability to participate in the summit due to "prevailing circumstances". The summit was called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate in the Islamabad meet.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and firmed up the responses to the terror attack.
On the eve of their crucial talks, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna had a friendly chat with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the sidelines of an informal working dinner of SAARC Foreign Ministers in New York
Pakistan is holding a high-level security meeting to formulate a response to India's suspension of the Indus Water Treaty and downgrading of diplomatic ties. The meeting, convened by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, will include the National Security Committee, three services chiefs, and key ministers. The move comes after India blamed Pakistan for a terror attack in Pahalgam, which Pakistan has denied. Diplomatic observers warn that the escalation could further strain relations between the two countries.
Connectivity is what SAARC needs the most but Pakistan is not interested, says Rajeev Sharma.
According to the Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025, which came into effect on April 4, overstaying, violating visa conditions, or trespassing in restricted areas could lead to three years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 3 lakh.
Jaishankar was among the first ministers to arrive for the SAARC ministerial meeting. He was in the meeting for over 45 minutes and then left.
We should reassess what India's role in the world is and whether we are doing the right thing for ourselves, notes Aakar Patel.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the SAARC Foreign Ministers' conference, lasted for about half-an-hour.
It is time the political leaderships in this country arrived at a common ground over issues of foreign and security policy concerns. There has to be a greater communication between the government and the Opposition leaderships for the nation to present a unified face against the rest of the world, advises N Sathiya Moorthy.
Several Pakistani nationals visiting India started returning home through the Attari-Wagah land route in Amritsar on Thursday, a day after the Centre set a 48-hour deadline for them to leave the country. The decision came after India announced a raft of measures, including the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960, and the immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post in view of the cross-border links to the horrific terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians on Tuesday.
The external affairs minister has confirmed that he will be attending a SAARC foreign ministers meeting in Islamabad in July.
"You can change friends but not neighbours," Atal Bihari Vajpayee famously said this 15 years ago.
Pakistani Hindu refugees residing in Delhi's Majnu Ka Tila are experiencing anxiety over their visa status despite government clarifications regarding Long Term Visas (LTVs). The government's decision to revoke all visas issued to Pakistani nationals, following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, has left many refugees worried about their future. While LTVs for Hindu Pakistani nationals remain valid, the renewal process every two years and ongoing citizenship applications under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, have fueled concerns. The Delhi Police has initiated a verification drive, adding to the unease among the refugees, who fear being uprooted yet again. The article highlights the plight of these refugees, who have fled Pakistan seeking a better life in India, and the uncertainties they face in the current political climate.
India's envoy to Austria, Sheel Kant Sharma, will be next secretary general of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced on Friday.
Following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, India has ordered all Pakistani nationals to leave the country within 48 hours. This has led to a mass exodus of Pakistani citizens from India, while several women married to Pakistani nationals and holding Indian passports are facing difficulties returning to their families in Pakistan.
From traditional Nepali thali to Gujarati basundi with jalebi, it was a lavish vegetarian spread of cuisines laid out for the SAARC leaders as they met in the cooler climes of exotic Dhulikhel resort for a retreat session.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances