Feb 25
The talks between the Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan are now on at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Before going to the talks the Pakistan Foreign Secretary Mr. Salman Bashir said that he was looking forward to a good and constructive engagement with India.
New Delhi has has already said that it is approaching the talks with an open mind but is fully conscious of the limitations imposed by the trust deficit post Mumbai terror attack. Ahead of the talks the External Affairs Minister Mr. S.M. Krishna said yesterday that the talks will essentially focus on India’s core concerns on terrorism.
He has said that New Delhi expects Islamabad to bring perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack to justice and unravel the full conspiracy behind the attack. He said that the Pakistan should also fulfill its commitment to dismantle terror infrastructure and deny sanctuary to all terrorists group operating from Pakistani soil. Our correspondent says that the pending issues related to the 26/11 attack will be raised by India.
New Delhi will also seek the access to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and other handlers of Mumbai attack during the talks. The Foreign Secretary Mr. Bashir will also call on the External Affairs Minister Mr. S.M. Krishna and is expected to meet the National Security Advisor Mr. Shivshankar Menon.
–Agencies