Foreign Secretary to brief MPs' panel on Indo-Pak relations under Imran Khan

New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vijay K Gokhle is likely to brief Standing Committee members of external affairs on India-Pakistan relations under the new regime led by Imran Khan. The standing committee headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor decided to have a brief on the subject and to understand the government's view about the Imran Khan regime. The meeting is scheduled on 26 October. Congress President Rahul Gandhi, a member of the committee. is likely to be present on that day. This will be the first meeting before the upcoming winter session of the parliament. The committee has also decided to discuss post-Doklam situation along the Bhutan-China border.

Recently, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had decided to have a meeting with her Pakistan counterpart on the sidelines of the SAARC Foreign Ministers meeting in New York during the UNGA session. But within 24 hours of the announcement of the first-ever bilateral meeting with Pakistan Foreign minister Shah Mhammad Qureshi of the present Imran Khan's government, the ministry of external affairs cancelled the proposed meeting. A lot of question were raised about the decision to hold a meeting with the present Pakistan government and about the cancellation of the meeting within a short time. A section of Indian media reported about the difference of opinion within the government to hold the meeting with Pakistan at this juncture.

Some of the members of the standing committee indicated that they would likely raise the question about that proposed New York meeting . Chairman of the standing committee Shashi Tharoor was already on record that present Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was a clear choice of the Pakistan Army who wanted the removal of Nawaz Sharif's party from Islamabad.

For a long time, a section of Indian diplomats were of the view that somehow India should find a way out to engage Pakistan army for a discussion. Now, as Imran Khan is a clear choice of the Pakistan Army, the question being is whether India would take some steps for a bilateral engagement with then Pakistan.

But In India Sentiments about Pakistan-based terrorists groups are so strong that the government in no way think about engaging Pakistan before the Lok Sabha elections.

Yet, the standing committee finds proper to discuss the issue threadbare next week with the interlocutors oif the external affairs ministry. The standing committee had made a request to attend that crucial meeting to all 29 members of Parliament.