Sushma to brief Parliament on resumption of comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will on Friday make a statement on her two-day visit to Pakistan in Parliament.

Responding to a notice of adjournment motion by Saugata Roy (Trinamool Congress) on the issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said Swaraj will make a statement in the House and the government is also willing for a discussion.

He said usually there is no discussion after a statement but the External Affairs Minister is willing for a debate on the issue.

"Several developments have taken place in between. I spoke with the minister (who was in Islamabad yesterday) and she will make a statement...we are willing for a discussion," he said apparently responding to Roy's notice on the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Paris during climate change talks.

Meanwhile, politics has already started over the bilateral talks. The Congress has demanded an explanation on why there was no mention about Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz's talks with Hurriyat leaders in August which led to NSA-level talks between the two countries being called off.

The CPI-M said that they are duty bound to question the Prime Minister in this regard.

India and Pakistan has agreed to start a comprehensive bilateral dialogue as Swaraj confirmed that Prime Minister Modi will visit Islamabad next year to attend the SAARC summit.

Pakistan has assured India of "steps being taken to expedite the early conclusion" of the 2008 Mumbai attack trial, something that India has been pressing for long.

The National Security Advisors (NSAs) of India and Pakistan who had recently met in Bangkok, will continue to address all issues connected to terrorism, according to a joint statement issued by the two countries.

The joint statement came after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Sharif and Aziz here on the concluding day of her two-day visit for attending a multilateral conference on Afghanistan.

(With additional information from PTI)