Pakistan Ready For 'Conditional Bilateral' Talks With India, Says Shah Mehmood Qureshi

Amid ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, Islamabad has given a call for bilateral dialogue with New Delhi. "Pakistan ready for 'conditional' bilateral talks with India", Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was quoted as saying by media.

His remarks hold significance as Imran Khan-led Pakistan government has been lashing out at Modi government for scrapping Article 370 which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, Pakistan Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid predicted a full-blown war between the two countries underlining that the war is likely to occur in October or November. While addressing a ceremony in his home town Rawalpindi, Rashid had said that the time for a final struggle for Kashmir has come and the war with India will be the "last this time".

Earlier on Friday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India is willing to discuss outstanding issues with Pakistan bilaterally in an atmosphere free of terror and violence.

He said this at a meeting with European Union Commissioner Christos Stylianides after the latter reiterated the EU’s stance that New Delhi and Islamabad need to re-open dialogue through diplomatic channels for the de-escalation of tensions in the Kashmir region.

The two leaders also talked about governance and greater development in the regions of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

“A good meeting with EU Commissioner @StylianidesEU. Discussed our perspectives on Afghanistan and Iran. Spoke of our expectations for better governance and more development in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,” Jaishankar wrote on Twitter.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after India abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories.

Reacting to India's decision, Pakistan expelled the Indian High Commissioner after it downgraded the diplomatic ties with New Delhi. 

Asserting that abrogation of Article 370 was its internal matter, India has strongly criticised Pakistan for making "irresponsible statements" and provocative anti-India rhetoric over issues internal to it.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Qureshi said 'Pak ready for 'conditional' bilateral talks with India'.
• Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after India abrogated Article 370. 
• India has strongly criticised Pakistan for making 'irresponsible statements'.