Bengaluru, July 17: The Pakistan foreign minister, Mr Shah Mahmood Qureshi, whose criticism of the external affairs minister, Mr S.M. Krishna, at the conclusion of their two-hour-long talks in Islamabad drew flak, has reportedly called and all but apologised to his Indian counterpart for any perceived insults thrown at him while he was on Pakistani soil.
Mr Qureshi’s call comes ahead of the donors conference in Kabul on July 20 which both are slated to attend. Mr Qureshi has reportedly requested a one-on-one meeting with Mr Krishna.
Indian officials said Pakistan’s foreign minister had climbed down after he received a rap on his knuckles for his personal attack on Mr Krishna from his own Prime Minister, Mr Yousuf Raza Gilani, and, later, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who is heading for the Kabul conference, billed as the largest gathering of foreign leaders in the Afghan capital since the 1970s.
Ms Clinton, who spoke to Mr Krishna on Saturday, said she wanted to meet him separately at the summit, while making clear that she “disapproved” of the tone and tenor of Mr Qureshi’s language.