Lok Sabha Question No. 327 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-22
Subject: Relationship with Pakistan
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: RAYAPATI SAMBASIVA RAO

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.327

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.07.2015

RELATIONSHIP WITH PAKISTAN

327.	     SHRI RAYAPATI SAMBASIVA RAO:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)	the current status of our relationship with Pakistan;

(b)	whether any efforts have been made by Pakistan to improve its relationship with India during the last three years;

(c)	if so, the details thereof; and

(d)	the details of interactions made by India and Pakistan during this period?

#### ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) to (d) 	Government continues efforts to build peaceful cooperative ties with Pakistan as envisaged under the Simla Agreement and Lahore Declaration, while taking all necessary steps to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation and the safety and security of our citizens.

Government has been repeatedly conveying to Pakistan that it must abide by its commitment not to allow its territory or territories under its control to be used against India, and to respect the sanctity of the International Boundary and Line of Control.

A list of meetings held between India and Pakistan in the last three years is enclosed at Annexure.

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**Annexure**

The details of interactions between India and Pakistan in the last three years are given below.

| **Second Round of Resumed Dialogue**                                                                                      |                                                       |                                                       |                               |                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Interaction**                                                                                                           | **Venue**                                             |                                                       |                               | **Date**                     | **Details**                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Indian Secretary [Water]& Pakistani Secretary [Water & Power]                                                             | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                     | 27-28 March 2012             | Second Round of Secretary-level talks on  Tulbul Navigation Project/Wullar Barrage                                                                                                                        |
| Home Secretary level talks                                                                                                | Islamabad                                             | Islamabad                                             | Islamabad                     | 24-25 May 2012               | Counter Terrorism including progress on Mumbai trial and humanitarian issues                                                                                                                              |
| Defense Secretary level talks                                                                                             | Rawalpindi                                            | Rawalpindi                                            | Rawalpindi                    | 11-12 June 2012              | Siachen                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Surveyor General level talks                                                                                              | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                     | 18-19 June 2012              | Sir Creek                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| Foreign Secretary level talks                                                                                             | Islamabad                                             | Islamabad                                             | Islamabad                     | 07-09 September 2012         | Peace & security including confidence building measures, Jammu and Kashmir, Promotion of friendly exchanges                                                                                               |
| External Affairs Minister level talks                                                                                     | Islamabad                                             | Islamabad                                             | Islamabad                     | 07-09 September 2012         | Bilateral talks                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| **Third Round of Resumed Dialogue**                                                                                       |                                                       |                                                       |                               |                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| Commerce Secretary level talks                                                                                            | Islamabad                                             | Islamabad                                             | Islamabad                     | 20-21 September 2012         | 7  th  Round of talks trade and economic cooperation                                                                                                                                                      |
| Expert level talks                                                                                                        | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                     | 27-28 December 2012          | Conventional and Nuclear Confidence Building Measures                                                                                                                                                     |
| **Other interactions in 2012**                                                                                            |                                                       |                                                       |                               |                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| Visit of Commerce, Industry and Textiles Minister of India                                                                | Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad                         | Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad                         | Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad | 12-15 February 2012          | Led a delegation of Indian businessmen to a trade fair in Lahore; held  trade talks with Pakistan's Minister of Commerce.                                                                                 |
| Visit of Hon'ble Speaker of Lok Sabha                                                                                     | Islamabad                                             | Islamabad                                             | Islamabad                     | 21-25 February 2012          | Hon'ble Speaker held discussions with her counterpart Ms. Fehmida Mirza & met Farooq Naek, Chairman of Pakistan's Senate. She called on then PM Gilani.                                                   |
| Then Prime Ministers                                                                                                      | Seoul                                                 | Seoul                                                 | Seoul                         | 27 March 2012                | Met briefly on  the sidelines  of the Nuclear Security Summit                                                                                                                                             |
| Then PM Dr. Manmohan Singh met President of Pakistan H.E. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari                                            | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                     | 8 April 2012                 | During the Pak President's private visit to the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti in Ajmer                                                                                                                |
| Then EAM met Pak FM Heena Rabbani Khar                                                                                    | Tokyo                                                 | Tokyo                                                 | Tokyo                         | 8 July 2012                  | on the sidelines of Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan                                                                                                                                                       |
| Then PM  Dr. Manmohan  Singh  met President  Zardari                                                                      | Tehran                                                | Tehran                                                | Tehran                        | 30 August 2012               | On the sidelines  of the  NAM Summit                                                                                                                                                                      |
| **Joint Commission  Meeting**                                                                                             |                                                       |                                                       |                               |                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| 08 Technical  Level Working  Groups  [TLWG]                                                                               | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                     | 06 September, 2012           | The 08 technical groups on Agriculture, Education,    Environment, Health, Information, Information Technology, Telecom & Science  and  Technology  met and  discussed  issues in their respective fields |
| **Official level meetings in 2013-14**                                                                                    |                                                       |                                                       |                               |                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| Meeting between  then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh  And Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif                                  | New York                                              | New York                                              | New York                      | 27 September 2013            | On the sidelines of UN General Assembly Session & discussed bilateral relations                                                                                                                           |
| Meeting between Director General BSF and Director General , Pak Rangers                                                   | Lahore                                                | Lahore                                                | Lahore                        | 24-28 December 2013          | Confidence building measures between BSF and Pak Rangers                                                                                                                                                  |
| Joint Working Group on Cross LoC Confidence building measures                                                             | Islamabad                                             | Islamabad                                             | Islamabad                     | 04 March 2014                | Issues relating to cross LoC trade and travel                                                                                                                                                             |
| Meetings of Permanent Indus Commission                                                                                    | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                     | 22-25 September 2013         | -                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| Meetings of Permanent Indus Commission                                                                                    | Lahore                                                | Lahore                                                | Lahore                        | 24-26 August 2014            | -                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| Meetings of Permanent Indus Commission                                                                                    | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                     | 1  st  week of February 2015 | -                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| Director General level meeting between Indian Coast Guard and Pakistan  Maritime Security Agency                          | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                     | December 17-20, 2014         | To consider confidence building  measures and humanitarian issues such as inadvertent crossing of maritime borders by fishermen                                                                           |
| **SAARC related meetings:**                                                                                               |                                                       |                                                       |                               |                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| Meeting between Commerce Secretaries of India and Pakistan  on the margins of the  5  th  SAARC Business Leaders Conclave |                                                       | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                     | 15 January 2014              | Preparatory meeting to the meeting of Commerce Ministers                                                                                                                                                  |
| Meeting between Commerce Ministers                                                                                        | Meeting between Commerce Ministers                    | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                     | 18 January 2014              | Discussed measures for  trade normalisation                                                                                                                                                               |
| 5  th  SAARC Health Minister's meeting                                                                                    |                                                       | New Delhi                                             | New Delhi                     | 06-08 April 2015             | Cooperation in Health related issues under SAARC umbrella                                                                                                                                                 |
| **FS and PM level Bilateral Meetings in 2014 & 2015**                                                                 |                                                       |                                                       |                               |                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| Meeting between PM Modi & Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif                                                                     | Meeting between PM Modi & Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif | Meeting between PM Modi & Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif | New Delhi                     | 27 May 2014                  | During the visit  of SAARC Heads of State/ Government during the swearing-in of the new government                                                                                                        |
| Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan                                                                                 | Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan             | Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan             | Islamabad                     | 03 March 2015                | Discussion on SAARC related and bilateral issues during "SAARC Yatra" of  Foreign Secretary of India                                                                                                      |
| Meeting between PM Modi & Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif                                                                     | Meeting between PM Modi & Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif | Meeting between PM Modi & Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif | Ufa, Russia                   | 10 July 2015                 | On the margins  of the Shanghai Cooperation Orgnaisation                                                                                                                                                  |

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