Indo-Pak envoys to return to work stations on Sat

India's envoy to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria will return to Islamabad on Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Bisaria was called to New Delhi for consultation soon after the February 14 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan's envoy to India, Sohail Mahmood, too would return to New Delhi on Saturday.

Mahmood was also called back to Islamabad for consultations in the wake of escalation of tension between the two neighbours after killing of over 40 CRPF personnel at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir in a suicide bombing.

The suicide attack was carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammad, a terrorist organization, which is based in Pakistan and has been carrying out strikes in India.

India responded to the terror attack with an air-strike on a JeM camp in Pakistan on February 26. The aircraft of Pakistan Air Force too intruded into airspace of India on February 27, resulting in a dogfight between the fighter jets of the two nations. An Indian Air Force pilot was detained by Pakistan Army after his MiG 21 Bison aircraft was downed by a Pakistan Air Force fighter jet. He was released and repatriated on March 1.

Bisaria's return to Islamabad and Mahmood's return to New Delhi on Saturday will signal some degree of de-escalation by both sides.

The two sides will also have their first formal bilateral engagement on March 13 when officials of both sides will meet at Attari-Wagah border to discuss modalities of implementing the decision of the governments of the two countries for setting up the Kartarpur Corridor.

Once the corridor is in place, the Sikh pilgrims from India will be able to visit Guru Nanak's final resting place at Kartarpur in Pakistan without any travel document.