Rajnath Singh is the first senior Indian minister to visit Pakistan after the Pathankot attack.
New Delhi:
When Home Minister Rajnath Singh visits Islamabad today, he will raise the Pathankot airbase attack in which seven military personnel were killed by terrorists from Pakistan in January. The home minister will also raise Pakistan's lack of cooperation to go after terrorists who executed the attack and also the support to terror groups operating from Pakistan.
Mr Singh, 65, is the first senior Indian minister to visit Pakistan after the Pathankot attack, and at a time when Kashmir is on the boil. New Delhi blames Islamabad for supporting the unrest in Kashmir.
At the 7th SAARC home/interior ministers' meet in Islamabad, the Home Minister will also raise concerns about fake currency and narcotics smuggling from Pakistan.
Although Pakistan indicated a bilateral meeting of the Home Ministers was possible, India has firmly rejected any such suggestion. "There will be no bilateral meeting. On the contrary, India's posture will be tough," a senior Home Ministry official said.
In a first, India had allowed Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team to visit the Pathankot base, collect evidence and interact with the National Investigation Agency. Pakistan, however, didn't either follow-up the leads nor did it allow an Indian team of investigators to visit Pakistan.
Meanwhile, India has conveyed to Pakistan that Mr Singh faces a threat from terrorist groups like the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Lashkar-e-Taiba, the United Jihad Council and its constituents like Hizbul Mujahedeen.
"In Pakistan the Home Minister faces multiple threats and this has been conveyed," a senior official told NDTV.
Wanted terrorist Hafiz Sayeed has threatened protests in Pakistan against Mr Singh's visit. Pakistan website stateviews.pk reports that black banners have been erected in Islamabad protesting against the Home Minister's visit. Some groups have also asked people to converge at Faizabad - located on the outskirts of Islamabad - to protest against Mr Singh's visit.
Mr Singh, 65, is the first senior Indian minister to visit Pakistan after the Pathankot attack, and at a time when Kashmir is on the boil. New Delhi blames Islamabad for supporting the unrest in Kashmir.
At the 7th SAARC home/interior ministers' meet in Islamabad, the Home Minister will also raise concerns about fake currency and narcotics smuggling from Pakistan.
Although Pakistan indicated a bilateral meeting of the Home Ministers was possible, India has firmly rejected any such suggestion. "There will be no bilateral meeting. On the contrary, India's posture will be tough," a senior Home Ministry official said.
In a first, India had allowed Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team to visit the Pathankot base, collect evidence and interact with the National Investigation Agency. Pakistan, however, didn't either follow-up the leads nor did it allow an Indian team of investigators to visit Pakistan.
Meanwhile, India has conveyed to Pakistan that Mr Singh faces a threat from terrorist groups like the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Lashkar-e-Taiba, the United Jihad Council and its constituents like Hizbul Mujahedeen.
"In Pakistan the Home Minister faces multiple threats and this has been conveyed," a senior official told NDTV.
Wanted terrorist Hafiz Sayeed has threatened protests in Pakistan against Mr Singh's visit. Pakistan website stateviews.pk reports that black banners have been erected in Islamabad protesting against the Home Minister's visit. Some groups have also asked people to converge at Faizabad - located on the outskirts of Islamabad - to protest against Mr Singh's visit.
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