BackRajnath Singh to visit Pakistan in August amid tensions in Kashmir
Rajnath Singh is expected to visit Pakistan for a regional home ministers' meet in the first week of August
Premium
New Delhi: Despite an uptick in tensions over Kashmir, Indian home minister Rajnath Singh is expected to visit Pakistan for a regional home ministers’ meet in the first week of August, government officials said.
Singh is to travel to Pakistan on 3-4 August for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC home ministers’ meeting, seen as a preparatory meeting to a summit of South Asian leaders in Pakistan later in November, one of the officials cited above said.
The move could be seen as India’s commitment to ensure that SAARC is not held hostage to India-Pakistan tension, something other countries in South Asia have complained about in the past.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Islamabad for the SAARC summit.
Rajnath Singh’s visit comes amid a war of words between India and Pakistan over alleged human rights in Indian-administered Kashmir. Violence in the region has claimed more than 40 lives, according to media reports. The deaths occurred as protestors clashed with Indian security personnel, following the death of Burhan Wani, whom the Indian government has identified as a militant belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen, once a dominant militant group in Kashmir. Pakistan, however, has described him as a Kashmiri leader that has raised hackles in India. Islamabad’s efforts to get international attention focused on Kashmir too has resulted in spiking tension with India. The two sides have been engaged in a sharp verbal duel for many days.
India and Pakistan both claim Kashmir, the scenic Himalayan region administered in parts by both countries, in full. Kashmir has been the cause for three of the four wars between India and Pakistan since 1947.
India accuses Pakistan of backing an armed Islamist insurgency in Indian Kashmir, something Pakistan denies, though it admits to extending moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
