India-Pak FMs to meet on sidelines of 'Heart of Asia' conference in Tajikistan on March 30

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi are likely to hold a meeting on the sidelines of the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference, as per sources. They will attend the 9th Ministerial Conference on March 30 in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe. After several years, both India and Pakistan foreign ministers will be seen under one roof.  

As they will be attending the meeting on March 30, Islamabad is trying to push for the meeting between both ministers. The development comes from Pakistan's side-- by their Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa. On Thursday, while speaking at the Islamabad security dialogue, the Pakistani Army Chief said, "We feel it is time to bury the past and move forward". Earlier at the same platform, Imran Khan talked about trade in the region can only prosper if India takes the first step".

Earlier in the week, India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla also desired neighbourly ties with Pakistan. He said India desires good neighbourly relations with Pakistan and is committed to addressing issues, if any, bilaterally and peacefully. He further said that any meaningful dialogue can only be held in a conducive atmosphere and the onus is on Pakistan to create such an atmosphere.

'Heart of Asia'

The conference was launched on November 2, 2011, in Turkey and have 15 countries as part of it. It is a decade-old regional initiative on security and cooperation for a stable and peaceful Afghanistan. Most of the countries are Afghanistan's neighbours and west Asian countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE as part of it. India hosted the same meet in 2016 in Amritsar.

Bury The Past & Move Forward: Bajwa

On March 19, Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa called for India to 'bury the past and move forward' as the peace between the two neighbours would help to 'unlock' the potential of South and Central Asia. Addressing a session of the first-ever Islamabad Security Dialogue, General Bajwa also said that the potential for regional peace and development has remained hostage to the age-old disputes between the two 'nuclear-armed neighbours'. Bajwa, however, added that the burden to create a "conducive environment" is on India and noted the role played by the US in resolving the regional conflicts.

"We feel it is time to bury the past and move forward," he said, adding that the responsibility for a meaningful dialogue rested with India," said Bajwa.