New Delhi, February 04: Reflecting thaw in relations with Pakistan, India has proposed Foreign Secretary-level talks to discuss terrorism and any other issue that could lead to peace between the two neighbours.
Sources Thursday said the offer of talks has been made to Pakistan and a reply is awaited.
At the talks, the sources said, India intends to raise the issue of terrorism and any other matter that could “contribute to creating atmosphere of peace and security” between the two countries.
India will “enter into the discussions with an open and positive mind” and will raise all “relevant issues,” they said.
On the outcome of the proposed meeting, the sources said this should not be pre-judged.
Of late, India has been indicating its willingness to resume dialogue with Pakistan, saying even ‘a few steps’ by Islamabad in the Mumbai terror probe will ‘satisfy’ it and will make it easier ‘to carry on normal business’ with the neighbour.
Home Minister P Chidambaram is also likely to visit Islamabad later this month for the SAARC meeting. Undoubtedly the focus there would be on Indo-Pak relationship as this will be the first visit by an Indian minister to Pakistan since the 26/11 attacks that suspended bilateral dialogue and brought ties to an all-time low.
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna had also been quite vocal about the government’s new approach towards its western neighbour.
“Chidambaram will get a chance to have very useful exchanges with his counterparts and other leaders in Pakistan. We are trying to focus their attention also on terrorism,” Krishna said.
“Any step forward in the direction of Pakistan also investigating the Mumbai attacks will certainly make it easier for India to carry out normalisation of business with Pakistan,” Krishna said while taking note of Pakistan’s recent actions in the Mumbai terror probe.
India had suspended the composite dialogue after Mumbai terror attacks and refused to restart the process before it could see any concrete action being taken by Pakistan in punishing those behind the carnage.
-PTI