The arrest of Madhuri Gupta, a diplomat working in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, on charges of spying will have an impact on the mood of the ongoing South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit in Thimphu because the matter is related to India's national security. Gupta, 53, a promotee officer of the ministry of external affairs, was arrested in New Delhi four days ago. Prasad refused to elaborate further on the issue. Gupta used to work as a translator.
"It was a formal courtesy call, nothing else," an official said.
'If there is a background of some kind of mutual understanding on how the dialogue process might develop in a mutually satisfactory manner...' 'If this understanding impacts positively on the ground situation...' 'As of now this is a heroic assumption. But it does not have to remain such.'
India and Pakistan on Tuesday discussed each other's 'concerns and interests' with Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar raising the issue of terror.
Seeking to further democratise air travel with dependable and affordable services, airline Akasa Air is aiming to start flights in late May or early June after getting its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in April. Bullish on the long term growth potential of the country's civil aviation sector, ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed carrier is looking to have 18 planes in its fleet by the end of March 2023. Despite COVID clouds continuing to cast a shadow on the airlines, Akasa Air CEO Vinay Dube is more than optimistic as he asserted that "if you look at the long term future of commercial aviation in India, it is as exciting as anywhere in the world".
'There is nothing that Pakistan has done which deserves a resumption of dialogue. The assurances made in Ufa contain no commitment except a whole range of talks, which could take place without the paraphernalia associated with a joint statement of prime ministers.'
Recognising the "serious threat" posed by terrorism to the peace and stability of South Asia, the 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Summit on Sunday in a declaration supported "strongest possible cooperation" against the menace and signed a key agreement in this regard.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday left for Colombo to attend the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation summit beginning on Saturday, during which terrorism is expected to be one of the main topics of discussion. Singh is expected to meet his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the summit and is likely to convey India's concerns over the recent spurt in cross-border terrorism and ceasefire violations.
The South Asian nations could script a new history of cooperation and prosperity that could serve as an example for other nations, notes Dr Rahul Mishra.
Sushma Swaraj urged the SAARC nations to focus on culture, commerce and connectivity.
'We have not been able to use the potential of our location in the region and the world and our strength as a nation and an economy to establish an EU-like structure in South Asia,' points out Aakar Patel.
Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan is located across the river Ravi, about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur district.
The journey towards South Asian integration will be long and arduous, but it has to start one day!
The nation has been put on high alert following intelligence inputs that Pakistan-based terrorists, who are against any thaw in Indo-Pak relations, may strike in a desperate bid to derail the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation meeting in Islamabad.Sources said the advisory issued by the ministry of home affairs has asked all states to maintain increased vigil and take precautionary measures to ensure security.
New Delhi has reached out to neighbours like seldom before while singling Islamabad for criticism at international forums.
The first of its kind in the country, the hub -- termed SACAC (South Asian Centre for Arts and Culture) -- will come up in what was once the home of Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
India and Indians can ignore Pakistan, but that cannot be said of other nations in the neighbourhood, where New Delhi's 'Neighbourhood First' policy constantly reverberates. Four of the eight SAARC member-nations are Muslim -- Afghanistan and Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives. The rulers decide the nation's India or anti-India policy in the first two, and street-opinion contributes to the same in the latter two, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani are expected to meet in Thimphu on the margins of the South Asian Association Regional Cooperation Summit, during which the Indian leader is likely to seek an update on the probe and trial in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case being conducted in Pakistan.
Pakistan said no meeting had been scheduled between Prime Ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Manmohan Singh till Thursday on the sidelines of the South Asian Association of Regional Corporation summit later this month, though it had proposed one and insisted that restarting dialogue was "a necessity".
He added that the risks can increase if the Chinese slowdown gathers more speed.
India would take up with SAARC nations the refugees issue so that neighbouring countries could take them with the assurance that they will be treated in proper manner.
India on Wednesday said it has no plans for a structured meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the 18th SAARC summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday gave a clarion call to all neighbouring and countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation to work "shoulder-to-shoulder" to remove poverty from the region, leaving behind the world of death and killings.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with officials on Monday night soon after taking over.
Meetings of SAARC foreign ministers and foreign secretaries will precede the summit.
He also asserted that India has not given up on SAARC, but it will keep looking for other opportunities for regional integration "since SAARC is stuck".
Modi spoke to Sharif and conveyed best wishes for the showpiece event.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh discussed the evolving situation in Nepal and the upcoming SAARC Summit in Dhaka with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and leader of opposition L K Advani on Wednesday.
PM Modi telephoned Imran Khan to congratulate him on his party's victory in the general elections
Describing "knowledge" as the focal point of all religions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said South Asian region will be left behind if it does not embrace modernity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that developing close relations with India's neighbours is a key priority of his government, ahead of his planned visit to Kathmandu on Tuesday afternoon to attend the 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, Summit.
He warned that 'other alignments' will develop to seize the economic opportunities offered by closer integration.
India has scrapped import duty on more than 4,800 items from four neighbouring countries and reduced customs tariff on these products from Pakistan and Sri Lanka as part of efforts to boost trade in South Asia.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani in Thimphu on Thursday, their first substantive meeting in less than a year with India expected to make its unhappiness clear over Pakistan's inaction against perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks.
The visit comes seven months after India cancelled foreign secretary-level talks.
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