Foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup speaking to the media on India-Pak talks
Responding to media questions on the Foreign Secretary talks between India and Pakistan, an official today used a phrase unusual to diplomacy.
"
Jab mian biwi raazi to kya karega kazi (if the husband and wife agree, what can the priest say?)," said Vikas Swarup.
The two Foreign Secretaries have spoken and agreed to reschedule talks that had been tentatively set for tomorrow, the government says.
Mr Swarup said Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar had spoken to his Pakistani counterpart on the phone and they have "mutually agreed" on talks "in the very near future".
Asked to spell out a time-frame, the official firmly repeated: "The timeframe is the very near future. The two foreign secretaries have mutually agreed."
The talks are expected to set the ball rolling for the dialogue process between the two countries. The attack on the Pathankot air base earlier this month, which India has blamed on Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, has stressed ties days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise stop at Lahore to meet Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif on his birthday.
"We have welcomed the arrest of Jaish-e-Mohammed members as the initial positive step. Pakistan is on the right path," said the foreign ministry spokesperson.
India has also said it supports Pakistan's decision to send investigators to India as part of the probe to collect important evidence about the Pathankot attack in which seven military personnel were martyred and 22 were injured.