India's policy of not having talks with Pakistan unless it stops cross border terrorism remains unchanged and no decision has been taken yet on any meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek next month, official sources said.
India has not been engaging with Pakistan since early 2016 following a terror attack on the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot in January that year, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.
Modi is attending the annual summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek on June 13-14. Khan is also scheduled to participate in the annual meet of the China-dominated grouping. Government sources said no decision has been taken on any meeting between Modi and Khan on the sidelines of the SCO summit.
“A decision on the issue will be taken by the new government,” said a source. In a reflection of India's reluctance to engage with Pakistan, the government has preferred to invite leaders of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) countries for the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as prime minister for a second term on May 30.
Besides India, BIMSTEC comprises Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. In 2014, Modi had invited all SAARC leaders including the…