A dialogue between Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif in New York this month now seems a strong possibility with clear attempts by the Indian side to reach out to its estranged neighbour.
“In diplomacy there are no full stops; there are only commas and semi colons,” foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said in Delhi this afternoon while addressing her maiden press conference.
Talks between the two nuclear-armed neighbours were stalled following India’s decision to call off a scheduled meeting of their foreign secretaries in Islamabad last month. India took strong objection to Pakistan’s decision to consult Kashmiri separatist leaders in Delhi before the Islamabad talks. Pakistan justified its decision of meeting the All Party Hurriyat Conference leaders from Kashmir arguing that it was a long standing practice.