All articles tagged with #india pakistan relations
India confirmed the Delhi blast was a terror incident, with investigations exploring links to recent arrests of Kashmiri individuals involved in arms and bomb-making, amid tensions with Pakistan and ongoing anti-terror efforts.
Pakistan has launched an investigation into a suicide bombing outside Islamabad's district court, which killed 12 people, with initial claims by the Pakistan Taliban and allegations by the Prime Minister linking the attack to Indian-backed militants, amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.
India is exercising caution in blaming Pakistan for the Delhi blast, despite evidence linking the attack to groups based in Kashmir and connections to Pakistan-based organizations, due to its high-stakes diplomatic and military posture following recent tensions and a new doctrine that treats terror acts as acts of war.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is consulting with the Pakistan government after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that India will not travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. The PCB has rejected a hybrid hosting model and insists on holding the entire tournament in Pakistan. This decision comes amid political tensions between the two countries, with the PCB seeking a formal explanation from the BCCI and the International Cricket Council (ICC) facing challenges in organizing the event without India.
Pakistan's upcoming general election on February 8 is expected to see the re-emergence of former premier Nawaz Sharif and his PML-N party as dominant players, despite concerns about the military establishment continuing to shape relations with India behind the scenes. The election, marred by attacks and the jailing of Imran Khan, is anticipated to result in Sharif and the PML-N emerging as the single largest political force, with experts highlighting the complex dynamics between civilian leadership and military power. The outcome will also impact the future of India-Pakistan relations, with cautious optimism expressed for potential improvements if Sharif is allowed by the Pakistan Army to pursue thaw with India.
Former Indian envoy to Islamabad, Ajay Bisaria, expressed concerns about the upcoming Pakistan parliamentary elections, stating that they appear to be more of a selection than an election, with the army influencing the outcome in favor of Nawaz Sharif. He highlighted the imprisonment of former PM Imran Khan as an attempt to sideline him and his party, suggesting that the army aims to bring in a coalition it can control. Bisaria also emphasized the need for free and fair elections and suggested that Pakistan's actions post-elections will impact India-Pakistan relations.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that if he had a good guest, he would be a good host, implying that Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was not a "good guest" for New Delhi during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers meeting. Jaishankar and Bhutto did not hold bilateral talks, but spoke about the issue of terrorism during the SCO meeting. Jaishankar called for combating terrorism in all its forms, while Bhutto reacted by saying, "Let’s not get caught up in weaponising terrorism or trying to earn diplomatic points for it."