New Delhi, July 29: The two leaders said terrorism was their common threat
Indian PM Manmohan Singh is due to make a statement clarifying the government’s stand on peace talks with Pakistan.
The move comes a fortnight after a joint statement issued by the two neighbours created confusion.
The statement had said they would fight terrorism without linking such co-operation to wider peace talks.
But after the joint statement Mr Singh said India would not start peace talks with Pakistan until the Mumbai attacks suspects are brought to justice.
The joint statement was issued after Mr Singh met his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Egypt.
It said action on terrorism “should not be linked to the composite dialogue process” – which includes talks on the disputed territory of Kashmir.
Correspondents say many in India have seen the joint statement as a major climb-down in Delhi’s stance.
The document also mentioned the situation in Balochistan, raising concerns in India that it implied the country’s “meddling” in the internal affairs of Pakistan.
‘Altering foreign policy’
Pakistan also provided an updated status dossier on the investigations of last November’s Mumbai (Bombay) attacks, in which militants killed more than 160 people.
On Tuesday, 146 Indian opposition MPs met President Pratibha Patil and accused the government of altering the “fundamental foundations of India’s foreign policy and strategic interests”.
The Indian Express newspaper said that Mr Singh in his statement in the parliament on Wednesday is “expected to make it clear that there will be no composite dialogue until Pakistan takes more concrete measures on terrorism directed from its soil against India”.
“To that extent, India feels that Pakistan’s 36-page dossier on the progress of the investigations is a ‘step forward’ but more needs to be done,” the newspaper said.
Peace talks between the two neighbours were suspended after the Mumbai attacks.
India says the gunmen were from Pakistan and has accused the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba of being behind the attacks.
Pakistan has admitted they were partly planned on its soil – and vowed to do all it can to bring the suspects to justice.
–Agencies