India, Pakistan in talks for bilateral meeting between Sushma Swaraj, SM Qureshi: Pak Foreign Office

The conflict-ridden India-Pakistan relations may soon witness a boost to the ties as both countries are gearing up to facilitate talks between Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York late September. However, no final decision on the matter has been taken yet, according to Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal.

"Pakistan PM has responded to PM Modi, in a positive spirit, reciprocating his sentiments. Let’s talk and resolve all issues. We await a formal response from India," Faisal was quoted by ANI  as saying. While Swaraj will lead the Indian delegation to the UNGA, Qureshi is expected to head the Pakistani side.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. pic.twitter.com/2FZRci3d50

— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2018

Read | Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz's jail term suspended by Islamabad High Court

Responding to a question on the controversial issue of Kartarpur corridor opening, Faisal further said, "so far no formal communication between the two countries has taken place," Faisal said, responding to a question on the controversial issue of opening the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara corridor.

Earlier, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu stirred controversy after he claimed that Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa told him that the Pakistani Government was working for the opening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims from the Indian state of Punjab.

Faisal also said that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who visited Pakistan last week, was briefed about the Line of Control (LoC) situation. He said Pakistan kept its friends, particularly China, appraised of the situation on the LoC and Kashmir, as any escalation could have serious consequences for the whole region.

Read | Indian women thrash Pakistan 4-0 in AFC Championship Qualifiers

The India-Pakistan ties nose-dived in recent years with no bilateral talks taking place. The ties between the countries had strained after Pakistan-based terror groups launched attacks in India in 2016.

(With inputs from agencies)