Islamabad: India and Pakistan have opened "back channel" talks after relations between two nations remained strained for years now, reports say.
The nuclear-armed neighbours are looking forward to end the stalemate as relationship took a nosedive in August 2019 after India revoked special status of Jammu and Kashmir, according to The Express Tribune.
"Since then, diplomatic ties have been downgraded, bilateral trade suspended and there has been no structured dialogue. But even before the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took charge, the two countries were talking to each other, albeit quietly," the report said.
There has been no major ceasefire violation since 2021 with truce in place, following a renewal of understanding for it.
But the process could not lead to a breakthrough in terms of resumption of dialogue between the two countries.
Following the change of guard in Pakistan after Imran Khan, bothside push for finding a way out.
"Call it back channels, Track-II or behind-the-scene talks, I can only confirm that relevant people in both countries are in touch with each other," The Express Tribune report quoted of the official sources as saying.
Chances of an immediate breakthrough are slim given the political uncertainty in Pakistan and tough preconditions attached by both sides for any resumption of dialogue.
India, the sources said, is inclined to the re-engagement but reluctant to offer something that would help Pakistan resume the dialogue, The Express Tribune reported.
"Our policy is clear. We want to engage with everyone, including India," said a senior member of the coalition government, while requesting anonymity.
The sources said that the Western powers, including the US and the UK, were also pushing for defusing tension and opening some formal channels of communications between the two South Asian neighbours, The Express Tribune reported.
India is said to be eager to first resume trade and then other ties with Pakistan. New Delhi is willing to meet wheat shortage of Pakistan by entering into a government-to-government agreement, the report said.
India is one of the top 3 wheat producers in the world and Pakistan this season plans to import 4 million metric tonnes of wheat to meet its domestic shortage.
Pakistan could import wheat from India on a much lower cost, given the less transportation and other logistic charges.
Pakistan is currently in talks with Russia to import at least 2 million tonnes of wheat. The commodity price in the global market has shot due to Russia-Ukraine conflict.
However, Pakistani officials are ruling out the possibility of importing wheat from India given the current status of bilateral ties, The Express Tribune report added.
Source: IANS