Pakistan on Friday appointed career diplomat and old India hand Shahid Malik as its new high commissioner to New Delhi, replacing Aziz Ahmed Khan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Thursday expressed his "strong desire" to build "further momentum" to carry forward relations with India in a constructive manner. Gilani made the remarks when Pakistan's High Commissioner-designate to India, Salman Bashir, called on him before his departure to New Delhi to assume his new assignment.
Salman Bashir, Pakistan's High Commissioner-designate to India, arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday to take charge of his new posting.
Observing that only trade ties have seen tangible progress in the resumed talks with India, Pakistan on Friday said all issues, including Siachen and Kashmir, must also "move in tandem" to sustain the peace process.
Though the meeting has been termed as 'courtesy call', sources said during their 30-minute deliberations, Malik discussed with Singh issues that were expected to figure at the bilateral talks scheduled to be held in Islamabad on May 24-25.
At present, economic relations are restricted to the merchandise trade of just about $2.65 billion.
Pakistan High Commissioner in India Shahid Malik on Friday said there is no political instability in his country and trade relations with India are normal.
Ahead of the Indo-Pak Home Secretary talks, Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik on Friday hoped that dialogue between the two countries on all issues, including Siachen and Sir Creek, will make progress.
Pakistan's former Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, who has been part of the post-26/11 Indo-Pak dialogue process, is the country's new high commissioner to India.
Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir is set to become Pakistan's High Commissioner in India as part of the biggest reshuffle of envoys approved by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, according to a media report on Tuesday.
The Al Qaeda-linked terror group Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami has threatened to attack Pakistan's foreign office, its high commission in India and top diplomats if Islamabad does not stop sharing information about it with New Delhi. HuJI has threatened it will attack the foreign office, the foreign secretary, Pakistan's high commission in New Delhi and High Commissioner Shahid Malik if its demand is not met.
Pakistan on Friday said that its foreign minister will be travelling to India in July to take forward the bilateral peace process. "What we can deliver at this stage is that our foreign minister will be visiting New Delhi in July," said Pakistan High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik. On the ongoing foreign secretary-level talks, Malik said, "They are going well." Pakistan currently has Hina Rabbani Khar as minister of state for foreign affairs.
Pakistan may appoint Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir as its next High Commissioner to India to replace current incumbent Shahid Malik, whose term is set to end in June.
After announcing on November 2 that its Cabinet has decided to grant the MFN status to India, Pakistan issued several confusing statements on Thursday.
Pakistan has handed over another dossier on Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative David Coleman Headley to India seeking more information about his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik met Interior Minister Rehman Malik in Islamabad, briefing him over the latest development concerning the issue.Headley, an American citizen of Pakistani origin, was arrested by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in October 2009.
Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik today met Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and discussed the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Foreign Secretaries of the two countries on the sidelines of the SAARC ministerial meeting in Colombo this week.
Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik on Wednesday met Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and discussed issues related to the India-Pakistan meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi on February 25. Malik met Rao after his return from Islamabad, where he held consultations with the Pakistan government on the forthcoming meeting between the foreign secretaries of the two countries, sources said. After a 14-month hiatus, India on January 28 offered to hold talks with Pakistan.
India on Friday handed over to Pakistan the replies to the 30 questions, about the terror attack on Mumbai in November last year, posed by that country. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee handed over India' reply to Pakistan High Commissioner Sahid Malik. Earlier, Home Minister P Chidambaram had handed over the document along with evidence to Mukherjee. He had added that each and every question posed by Islamabad had been answered adequately.
India handed over "additional information" on Mumbai attacks to Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik, who met Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao in New Delhi on Friday. During the meeting held following a request by Malik, additional information on the 26/11 terror attacks including inputs on some of the key aspects and accused involved was given by Rao.
With India offering to hold foreign secretary level talks, Pakistan's High Commissioner Shahid Malik on Friday met Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao to finalise the dates for the meeting.India has proposed two set of dates in February and is awaiting a response from Pakistan over them, sources said. Reflecting a thaw in bilateral relations, Rao had telephoned her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir about a week ago to invite him to Delhi for talks.Bashir had welcomed the offer.
Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik has met Home Minister P Chidambaram and is understood to have discussed aspects related to the Mumbai terror attacks.
"A request for enhancement of security was received from the Pakistan High Commission six days back after which necessary action was taken," official sources said. They, however, said the letter could be a prank played by somebody.
Pakistan has to do more to dismantle the terror infrastructure on its soil if it wants to resume the peace process with New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in New Delhi on Tuesday."As far as the composite dialogue is concerned, it has been paused. We expect Pakistan to do more to dismantle the terror infrastructure," Mukherjee told reporters. Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik had met Mukherjee on Monday.
Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday for consultations to finalise the country's response to the Indian dossier on the Mumbai attacks, which is expected to be handed over this week. The High Commissioner is expected to meet Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik, Law Minister Farooq Naek and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir to discuss India's response, to questions Pakistan had posed after receiving the Indian dossier, sources said.
Pakistan High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik summoned by Ministry of External Affairs in connection with the Mumbai terror attacks, sources told PTI. India had blamed elements in Pakistan as being responsible for the attacks.
Shahid Malik, who was appointed minister in the department for international development last summer by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, said many Muslims today feel like they are aliens in their own country. He, however, made it clear that that he was not likening the prevailing situation to the Holocaust, reports The Independent, London
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Singh said that Ram Jethmalani was a maverick with a difference.
Contradicting Defence Minister Chaudhary Mukhtar Ahmad, Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik on Wednesday said that Jaish-e-Mohmmad chief Maulana Masood Azhar, one of India's most-wanted terrorists, was not under house arrest and his whereabouts were not known to them."We are looking for him. He is not under house arrest. As far as I know, it (news reports of Azhar's house arrest) is wrong. He is not in Pakistan...We don't know where he is," Malik said.
The two sides also discussed issues related to release of prisoners, trade, confidence-building measures and other matters listed under the composite dialogue process.
The Pakistani government has not confirmed his appointment.
Malik's earlier stint in New Delhi was as Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner between 1992 and 1995.
Shahid Malik said a review of the visa agreement would be 'in the best interest of both countries'.
The new High Commissioner, who succeeds Aziz Ahmad Khan, is taking over at a time when the two countries have decided to push forward their relations despite challenges.
'The Modi government knows that much cannot be expected of Pakistan till the Kulbhushan Jadhav issue is resolved,' says Rajeev Sharma.
Delegates of a bilateral peace delegation urge the prime ministers of Pakistan and India to resume dialogue for peace and full normalisation of relations.
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