Pakistan ready for talks but India will have to take first step: Nawaz Sharif in Nepal

Kathmandu: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is in Nepal to attend 18th Summit of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), said Pakistan is ready to hold talks with India but New Delhi will have to take the initiative, the Geo News reported.

Speaking in Kathmandu on Tuesday, Sharif said India had cancelled the foreign secretary-level talks.

We have been shouting from top of the roof that we are for a meaningful dialogue, a "meaningful" dialogue: Syed Akbaruddin, MEA

— ANI (@ANI_news) November 25, 2014

India’s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had on Monday refused to rule out a meeting between Modi and Sharif.

However, earlier in the day, advisor to Prime Minister Sharif on national security and foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz had denied of any plans for Modi-Sharif bilateral talks. He added that such a meeting could be held if Sushma Swaraj makes a request.

Aziz stated it was up to India to have ‘informal talks’ with Pakistan.

Swaraj met and shook hands with Aziz in Nepal but clarified that “the meeting was out of courtesy”.

Sharif had attended Modi's swearing in ceremony in May and held bilateral talks but the two leaders have not met since then.

India in August called off foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan after Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit held talks with Kashmiri separatists.

There was no meeting (btwn Sushma Swaraj & Sartaj Aziz), exchange of courtesies shouldnt be taken as a meaningful dialogue: MEA

— ANI (@ANI_news) November 25, 2014