India-Pakistan foreign secretary talks rescheduled

Islamabad, Jan 14 Talks between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan, which were to be held here on Friday, have been postponed, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

"Both countries are in contact to firm up the dates for the meeting of the two foreign secretaries," Foreign Office spokesman Qazi M. Khalilullah told the media here.

"Mutual consultations are on regarding the rescheduling of the talks." 

The spokesman didn't give any reason but it followed reported Indian demands that the talks can go ahead only if Islamabad acts against Pakistani terrorists who plotted the terror attack on the IAF base in Pathankot in Punjab.

Six terrorists who India says were Pakistanis and allied to the outlawed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) raided the base on January 2, killing seven security personnel. Security forces killed all the attackers.

India then provided "actionable intelligence" to Pakistan and asked it to crack down against the attack masterminds.

Pakistan announced on Wednesday that it had arrested several JeM activists and sealed its offices. Pakistani media reports later quoted unnamed sources as saying that JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar had been detained.

But the spokesman said he had no knowledge about Masood Azhar's arrest. "I am not aware of any such arrest."

Khalilullah said terrorism was a common threat and both Pakistan and India should work together to end it.