NEW DELHI: India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh will not be conducting any bilateral meetings with his Pakistani counterparts during his upcoming visit to Islambad.

"Let me categorically state that home minister is going for Saarc event. There will be no bilateral meetings with Pakistan," Indian MEA spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted, rubbishing rumours in Indian media that he may meet counterparts from other countries including Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh is set to visit Islamabad next week to attend a meeting of Saarc interior ministers.

Singh’s visit comes at a time when relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours are strained due to India’s suppression of protests which erupted over the extra-judicial killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhanuddin Wani.

Pakistan has been extending moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri struggle. July 20 was observed as a ‘black day’ to protest Indian atrocities and a diplomatic effort has been launched to highlight the plight of Kashmiris.