India likely to take decision today on Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan

India likely to take a decision on whether to go ahead with the Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan tomorrow. It comes following detention of several individuals of the Jaish-e-Mohammad by Islamabad. Hectic consultations followed the detention. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Ms Swaraj had a two-hour long meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. External Affairs Ministry officials said after the meeting of Mr. Modi and Ms. Swaraj, it was decided to wait for the return of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval from Paris today for a call to be taken. Earlier, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said that a decision



on whether to go ahead with the talks would be taken after the meeting between Mr. Modi and Ms. Swaraj.

India had demanded action linking it to the fate of Foreign Secretary-level talks. However, New Delhi has said it has not received any confirmation of the detention of Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Maulana Masood Azhar despite widespread reports of his having been apprehended in connection with the Pathankot attack.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup told reporters that they have no official confirmation of the arrest of Masood Azhar.