Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif held a closed-door meeting on Tuesday at the margins of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Kathmandu, marking the first direct high-level dialogue between the two nations since 2019. The encounter, confirmed by both governments, occurred amid heightened regional tensions following a series of cross-border incidents in the Kashmir region. Neither side released a joint statement, but officials from both delegations described the discussions as “constructive” and focused on “reducing hostilities.”
The meeting took place in a neutral room at the summit venue, with only senior advisors permitted to attend. Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar later told reporters that the talks addressed “urgent issues of security and people-to-people contact,” while Pakistan’s Foreign Office issued a brief statement emphasizing “the importance of peaceful coexistence and regional stability.” No specific agreements were announced, but both leaders reportedly acknowledged the need for “reinstating communication channels” between their intelligence agencies.
Details of the conversation remain scarce, but sources familiar with the discussions indicated that border management and the repatriation of prisoners were among the topics. A senior Indian defense official noted that “there was no mention of resolving the Kashmir dispute, but both sides expressed willingness to engage on confidence-building measures.” The absence of a public communique contrasted with previous diplomatic exchanges, where even minimal consensus was typically acknowledged.
The meeting occurred days after a mortar attack near Poonch, a border town in Jammu and Kashmir, killed two civilians and prompted retaliatory strikes by Indian forces. Pakistan denied involvement, but the incident reignited calls from regional analysts for renewed dialogue. “This encounter is a step forward, but it must be followed by tangible actions to de-escalate tensions,” said Dr. Ayesha Siddiqui, a Lahore-based security expert. “Without addressing the root causes, such meetings risk becoming symbolic gestures.”
Regional observers highlighted the significance of the meeting as a rare instance of bilateral engagement under the SAARC framework, which has been largely paralyzed since 2016. The grouping’s foreign ministers had last convened in 2014, and the 2019 summit in Islamabad was canceled over disputes between India and Pakistan. The Kathmandu gathering, attended by all eight SAARC members, included separate talks between Modi and Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who hosted the event.
India’s decision to engage with Pakistan came as the country prepares for general elections in 2024, with security and cross-border threats emerging as key campaign issues. Pakistani officials, meanwhile, face domestic pressure to balance relations with India against ties with China, its strategic partner. The meeting’s limited scope and lack of public commitment underscore the fragile state of bilateral relations, even as both sides signal a desire to avoid further conflict.
Further discussions are expected to be held in the coming weeks, though no formal schedule has been released. A joint working group on confidence-building measures is reportedly being considered, a mechanism that last met in 2017. For now, the encounter remains a cautious first step, with both nations reluctant to signal broader concessions amid deepening geopolitical rivalries.
