New Delhi, March 29: The second and final day of Home Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan ended here today, with both the countries agreeing to set up a hotline for exchange of information and promising to cooperate on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and the Samjhauta Express blast trials.
A joint statement was issued after the meet in which it was agreed that a hotline would be set up between the two countries which would help exchange of information.
During the talks, it was also agreed that India will update
Pakistan on the Samjhauta Express blasts trial once a charge sheet is filed in the case. Pakistan has agreed to allow an Indian team to question the 2008 Mumbai terror attack suspects being prosecuted there. The modalities and dates of the team’s visit would be decided later.
A judicial commission from Pakistan will visit India and interview some of the witnesses in the Mumbai, it was announced.
It was decided that for issuance of visas a joint working group would be formed and a meeting of the CBI and FIA would soon take place.
It was also decided that Union Home Secretary G K Pillai would go to Pakistan for the next round of talks.
It was also agreed that Pakistan’s Federal Investigation
Agency (FIA) and National Investigation Agency (NIA) will cooperate in relation to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack investigations.
The first day of the discussions had seen a host of issues
covering deportation of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, cross-border terrorism, smuggling of fake Indian currency and progress in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack trial, among others, being discussed, said sources as there was no official word about what transpired during the meeting.
After the over five-hour meeting, Mr Pillai and Pakistani
counterpart Chaudhary Qamar Zaman had described the talks as positive and moving in the right direction.
–UNI