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<\/div>\nIndia has accused Pakistan of sponsoring terrorists.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
New Delhi: <\/b><\/p>\n
A formal meeting between Foreign Minister S Jaishankar of India and his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is unlikely to take place when the latter visits India next month for a meeting of a regional bloc, sources said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Two days ago, Mr Jaishankar indirectly criticised the country while speaking at a joint press conference with Panama’s Foreign Minister Janaina Tewaney Mencomo in Panama City.<\/p>\n
“It is for us very difficult to engage with a neighbour who practices cross-border terrorism against us. We’ve always said that they have to deliver on the commitment not to encourage, sponsor and carry out cross-border terrorism. We continue to hope that one day we would reach that stage,” he said.<\/p>\n
Last week, five Indian soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch.<\/p>\n
Pakistan had announced that Mr Bhutto Zardari would attend the conference of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers in Goa on May 4 and 5, making it the first high-level visit by the country in years. India, however, said that it would not be appropriate to focus on the participation of any one country.<\/p>\n
When asked if Pakistan had requested a bilateral meeting between the two foreign ministers, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, did not give a direct answer.<\/p>\n
“We look forward to a successful meeting. It will not be appropriate to focus on participation by any one particular country,” he said when asked about Pakistan’s announcement.<\/p>\n
The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and security alliance that comprises eight member states – China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined the organisation as full members in 2017.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n