ISLAMABAD, Jan 24 (APP):Terming India’s counter-invitation to Pakistan on Kartarpur Corridor as ‘childish’ instead of accepting its offer to finalize negotiations for the planned opening, Foreign Office Thursday said the step would be reciprocated with a mature response.
“I can assure that our reply to India’s childish invitation will be mature and well-considered,” Foreign Office Spokesman Muhammad Faisal said in response to a question about the fate of negotiations on Kartarpur Corridor.
Pakistan on January 21 had shared a draft agreement with India along with an invitation to initiate
negotiations for its finalization besides appointing the Director General South Asia as focal point to sort
out modalities for the opening of Corridor.
India, avoiding a tough choice between rejecting the invitation and accepting Pakistan’s offer for
talks, instead asked the Pakistani officials to visit New Delhi for talks on the issue with proposed dates
of February 26 and March 7.
The Spokesman said India was pursuing the policy of ignoring Pakistan’s goodwill gestures, similar
to its earlier response to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s letter to resume dialogue between two
neighbouring countries on all outstanding issues.
Muhammd Faisal categorically rejected the presence of Daesh in Pakistan. “In the best of my
knowledge, there is no Daesh in Pakistan,” he said, when asked to comment on the recent shootout
in Sahiwal where a member of the terrorist outfit was reportedly killed by the officials of Punjab’s
Counter Terrorism Department.
