'Confused' Pak PM Imran Khan calls special meet to discuss ties with India: Sources

A day after taking a u-turn, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has summoned a special meeting on relations with India. This comes as an important development after both countries agreed upon 2003 ceasefire agreement and since then not a single bullet has been fired on the borders by both the sides. Highly placed sources in Pakistan told Republic World that PM Khan has summoned a special meeting today after Friday prayers. The agenda of the meeting is to discuss, formulate and decide the spectrum with regards to Pakistan's relations with India. 

"Imran Khan has summoned  Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Foreign Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials for the meeting in which they will be giving PM Imran Khan a detailed briefing on to what extent Pakistan can have relations with India", source said.

He further added that the Pakistan PM has also summoned Asad Umar, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives and Shireen Mazari, Federal Minister for Human Rights and other leaders for this meeting. A decision will be taken after the briefing by Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials to Prime Minister Khan today.  Though it is unlikely as Shireen Mazari while taking to twitter yesterday wrote, "And today Cabinet stated clearly NO trade with India. PM made clear there can be no normalization of relations with India until they reverse their illegal actions viz IIOJK of 5 Aug 2019."

During the meeting, PM Imran Khan will also review about trade with India. "Meeting to also constitute a sub committee which will further deliberate on ECCs recommendations," sources added.  On 25 February, Both India and Pakistan agreed to abide by 2003 ceasefire agreement and statement by Indian side read, "In the interest of achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders, the two DGsMO agreed to address each other’s core issues and concerns which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence. Both sides agreed for strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control and all other sectors with effect from midnight 24/25 Feb 2021."   It further added that both sides reiterated that existing mechanisms of hotline contact and border flag meetings will be utilised to resolve any unforeseen situation or misunderstanding. 

Image Credits: AP/PTI