The high commissioners of Pakistan and India, who were called back by their relevant governments in the wake of recent escalation following the Pulwama attack, resumed duties on Saturday, in what appeared to be yet another sign of de-escalation between the South Asian neighbours.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Sohail Mehmood resumed his duties in New Delhi on Saturday. He arrived in India via the main border crossing at Wagah near Lahore.
On Friday, Sohail Mahmood had met Prime Minister Imran Khan and took his advice on Indo-Pak relations before returning to his post in New Delhi.
Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Saturday said in a news briefing that High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria has returned to Islamabad.
The development comes a week after Pakistan announced a series of steps including sending its envoy back to New Delhi to defuse the crises triggered after the February 14 suicide attack in Indian-held Kashmir that led to a military standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The timing of the return of two envoys suggests a coordinated move both by Islamabad and New Delhi, renewing hopes of possible thaw in ties between the two neighbours
Another positive indicator of de-escalation in tensions is that the two countries have decided to meet next week on the Kartarpur Corridor initiative. Pakistani delegation will meet the Indian officials at Wagha-Attari border on the Indian side to finalise the draft agreement on the Kartarpur Corridor on March 14.
Published in Daily Times, March 10th 2019.
