ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to appoint new NationalSecurity Advisor to re engage India.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is actively considering appointing a NationalSecurity Adviser (NSA).
The likely appointment of NSA is meant for reviving the backchanneldiplomacy with India to sort out some of the pressing issues between thetwo nuclear-armed neighbours, according to official sources privy to thedevelopment.
Since assuming the top office in August last year, Imran Khan repeatedlyreached out to India for the resumption of peace talks on all outstandingissues. The Modi administration, however, spurned those offers. Any hopefor reengagement dealt a fatal blow when India sent fighter jets intoPakistan following the Pulwama attack in February.
The two countries were on the brink of a war when Pakistan retaliated withairstrikes on the Indian side. While the two countries pulled back from thebrink after hectic efforts of influential countries, Pakistan decided notto make any further overtures till the elections in India are over.
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Now, the almost two-month long election exercise is over, the government isconsidering options on how to resume talks with India.
One of the options includes the appointment of NSA to revive thebackchannel with India. In the past, the two countries often usedbackchannel through NSAs to prepare ground for any talks.
In 2015, Pakistani NSA Lt General (retd) Naseer Khan Janjua and his Indiancounterpart Ajit Doval were instrumental in breaking the ice. The two heldmeetings in Bangkok leading to the agreement between the two foreignministers for the resumption of composite dialogue.
