Pakistan's National Security Adviser (NSA) Lt Gen (Retd) Naseer Khan Janjua

Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria on Tuesday met Pakistan's National Security Adviser (NSA) Lt Gen (Retd) Naseer Khan Janjua in Islamabad. Official sources in Delhi said the meeting was scheduled a week earlier, they said Bisaria sensitised the Pak NSA on issues of India's concern. They said constructive discussions took place between them on improving the bilateral relationship, in the face of worsening situation in the restive state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan Foreign Office reported that the two discussed matters pertaining to improving bilateral relations including the recent worsening situation in Kashmir. "Janjua told Bisaria that Pakistan is pursuing a policy of friendly relations with all its neighbouring countries, including India. Pakistan is committed to resolving all outstanding issues through comprehensive dialogues," sources in Islamabad said.

They further claimed that Janjua expressed serious concerns over ongoing human rights violations in the Kashmir valley and emphasised that the use of force "will lead us nowhere".

"Pakistan is deeply committed to the cause of Kashmir and supports to resolve this issue politically and according to the aspirations of Kashmiri people. Process of dialogue is the only way forward to resolve our disputes," Pakistan Foreign Office statement added.

The envoy acknowledged Pakistan and India need to improve bilateral relations and said "both countries have immense potential to improve the relationship, and cater to each other's needs". Bisaria also suggested working on taking small steps to improve ties, including exchange of prisoners, visits of medical teams, and trade initiatives. "We can build on these small steps between us and take the relationship towards normalcy to address bigger issues," he added.

Over the past three years, the engagements between the two NSAs have been the only form of any high-level contact between India and Pakistan. The last substantive dialogue between India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Janjua was in December 2017, in Bangkok. It was their recent telephonic conversation on March 26 that sealed the agreement between the two countries that matters related to harassment of diplomats be resolved under the 1992 Code of Conduct.