India sending envoy back to Pakistan on Saturday

India on Friday took a step towards de-escalation of tension with Pakistan and announced that the Government’s envoy will return to Islamabad on Saturday.

“High Commissioner of India to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria, is returning to Islamabad after having completed his consultations in India. He will reach Islamabad on 9 March, and resume his duties,” stated Raveesh Kumar, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.

The announcement follows days after Pakistan declared that Prime Minister Imran Khan would send High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood back to Delhi. Diplomatic sources informed that the Pakistan envoy will also return to Delhi on Saturday.

Both countries had withdrawn the envoys following a spike in tension in the aftermath of the terror attack in Pulwama and the Indian military action in Balakot, inside Pakistan.

Prime Minister Khan met Pakistan’s envoy to India on Friday and discussed the upcoming India-Pak engagements.

Both sides are expected to take up the Kartarpur Corridor project when a Pakistan delegation visits India on 14 March. India is expected to send a delegation for the same on 28 March.

Significantly, Islamabad hosted Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al Jubair on Thursday.