Pakistan welcomes India dialogue calls

Pakistan said on Thursday, May 14, that calls inside India for renewed talks were a welcome sign, after comments by retired Indian army chief Manoj Naravane and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale reopened public discussion about dialogue between the two countries. Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Andrabi said in Islamabad that such voices were a “positive development” and that Pakistan remained committed to diplomacy, sovereignty and “meaningful international engagement.” He added that Islamabad would wait to see whether the comments drew any official response from New Delhi. The remarks came against the backdrop of continued military vigilance along the Line of Control and parallel diplomacy involving Pakistan, India, Iran and Russia. ### Which Indian comments prompted Pakistan’s response? Dattatreya Hosabale said on May 12 that India should not close the door on dialogue with Pakistan and that people-to-people contact remained important, according to reports by Indian outlets carrying PTI material. He said diplomatic relations had been maintained for a reason and argued that channels involving trade, visas and civil society should stay open even amid distrust. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Manoj Naravane said on May 13 that Hosabale’s position was “the right thing,” according to Indian media reports. Naravane said friendship between ordinary people on both sides could help bilateral ties, while also saying India would use force if needed. Those remarks gave Pakistan a named, current set of Indian statements to answer at its weekly briefing. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### What exactly did Pakistan say in Islamabad? Tahir Andrabi told reporters on May 14 that “the voices within India calling for dialogue are obviously a positive development,” according to the Pakistani account reported by Economic Times. He said Pakistan hoped “sanity will prevail” in India and that Islamabad would watch for an official reaction from the Indian government. (hindustantimes.com) Andrabi also said Pakistan believed “constructive partnerships and sincere dialogue are essential to advancing peace, security, and shared prosperity for all.” He declined to confirm or deny any back-channel contacts, saying he was not aware of them and did not wish to comment. ### Was this only about India-Pakistan ties? (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Pakistan’s Foreign Office website said on May 15 that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had reiterated Pakistan was facilitating Iran-U.S. talks “for achieving peace and stability in the region and beyond.” Andrabi separately said at the May 14 briefing that Pakistan continued to play its part for a durable peace between Washington and Tehran and that the process was “intact” and “holding on.” (economictimes.indiatimes.com) That regional track overlapped with Indian diplomacy. Hindustan Times reported in March that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar that BRICS, led this year by India, should play a “constructive role” in supporting regional stability and security. Jaishankar, according to the same report, said India was ready to develop bilateral and multilateral cooperation and stressed the need to strengthen stability in the region. (mofa.gov.pk) ### Where does Russia fit into this? Sergey Lavrov said on May 15 that India could serve as a long-term mediator in diplomacy around Iran, while describing Pakistan as helping establish dialogue between the United States and Iran on more immediate issues. The Russian foreign minister made the remarks after a BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting, according to Economic Times. (hindustantimes.com) Lavrov said India’s diplomatic experience and its role as BRICS chair made it a plausible convener for wider talks involving Iran and Arab states. His comments placed India and Pakistan in different, publicly described diplomatic roles tied to the same regional crisis. ### Has India issued an official reply? (economictimes.indiatimes.com) India’s Ministry of External Affairs website showed no immediate public response in the material reviewed on May 15. Pakistan’s spokesman said Islamabad was waiting to see whether the Indian comments by Hosabale and Naravane produced an official position from New Delhi. The next formal signals are likely to come through government briefings or statements from the Indian External Affairs Ministry, while BRICS diplomacy involving India, Iran and Russia continues through ministerial contacts already under way in May. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) (mea.gov.in)