Rajnath Singh in Pakistan capital for Saarc meeting

Islamabad: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday arrived in Islamabad to attend South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) meeting of home/interior ministers.

The visit comes amid violence in Kashmir where authorities allegedly killed dozens of Kashmiris after the killing of 22-year-old youth Burhan Wani, triggering outrage among residents.

“Leaving for Islamabad to attend the Saarc HM Conference. This Conference provides a platform to discuss issues pertaining to security,” Mr Singh wrote on his official Twitter account before his departure.

“Looking forward to underscore the imperative of meaningful cooperation within the region against terrorism and organised crime,” he added. Relaxation upon visa-policy for nationals of SAARC countries shall also be brought under discussion during the meeting.

Mr Singh is expected to raise the issue of most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and cross border terrorism during the Saarc conference. Accompanied by a delegation comprising officials from his ministry and external affairs, Singh, who is on his maiden visit to Pakistan, will be underlining meaningful cooperation among the South Asian countries.

The visit comes notwithstanding threat by LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, who warned of a countrywide protest in Pakistan by his outfit if Singh arrives in Islamabad to attend the Saarc ministerial conference.

There is little possibility of Singh having a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the wake of strain in Indo-Pak relations after the killing of Burhan Wani in Jammu and Kashmir on July 8.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said Pakistan’s desire for peace was not its weakness adding Kashmir was not an internal issue of India. Mr Sharif said Pakistan supported global efforts for peace and could not ignore the human rights violations in Kashmir.

Addressing the concluding session of a three-day envoys’ conference on foreign policy, the Prime Minister termed support to the Kashmiris’ demand to self-determination in accordance with the resolutions of United Nations Security Council the “cornerstone” of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

He said the indigenous movement of Kashmiris for their freedom was ‘rejuvenated’ with the ‘sacrifices’ rendered by the young generation.