No confirmation on Narendra Modi's trip to Pakistan despite reports saying he will attend SAARC meet
Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said decisions about the Prime Minister's foreign visits are not taken so far in advance.
The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday dismissed Pakistani media reports that quoted Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale as saying he was looking forward to Narendra Modi visiting the country in November. The ministry said decisions regarding the Prime Minister's foreign visits are made closer to the date of the event, The Times of India reported.
Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, "As I stated in my weekly briefing, decisions and announcements of such nature are not made so far in advance." At an event on Monday, Bambawale said Modi is looking forward to visiting Islamabad for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit in November, reported The Indian Express. He also reportedly said that India and Pakistan must keep their focus on economy while discussing other issues.
When asked about the alleged Indian atrocities in Kashmir in light of the ongoing crisis in the region, Bambawale said the Indian government is as concerned about the people of the Valley as anybody else in the world. He also asserted that Kashmir was India's internal problem, and that the Nawaz Sharif government should focus on the problems plaguing their own country. He added that India has always held that countries should work together to get to the bottom of terrorism, as it is a problem not only for Pakistan, but for India and the world. He admitted that there was a dearth of trust and confidence in the relations between New Delhi and Islamabad.