New Delhi, February 25: India and Pakistan hold their first official talks since the 2008 Mumbai attacks on Thursday, a meeting that is unlikely to lead to an immediate breakthrough but may help thaw their frigid relations.
The progress that the two nations’ foreign secretaries — their top diplomats — make may have a direct bearing on western efforts to stabilise Afghanistan, where India and Pakistan have long engaged in a proxy war for influence.
But before any progress can be made, the two countries have to agree which subjects should be covered — India wants to focus on terrorism, Pakistan on the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that has been the cause of two of their three wars.
“It’s an open agenda and nothing is excluded,” Pakistan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir told reporters before arriving in New Delhi on Wednesday.
“Pakistan’s credentials in counter-terrorism are second to none and the international community appreciates Pakistan’s efforts. It’s a fact and we hope India realises it’s a global issue. It’s a regional issue. It’s not a local matter.”
The talks come amid a foreboding sense in India that the bombing of a popular bakery in Pune this month, that killed 15 people, may herald more attacks.
If that happened, it may make it politically difficult for India to build on whatever progress is made on Thursday.
India broke off official talks after the Mumbai attacks, saying dialogue could resume only if Pakistan acted against militants on its soil that New Delhi blamed for the carnage.
“While no one is going to prejudge the outcome of the talks, terrorism will remain the focus for us,” an Indian official said.
Re-engaging Pakistan was a politically fraught move for New Delhi, given the strong Indian public opinion against talks, but a nudge from Washington and dwindling diplomatic options saw India reaching out to Islamabad.
Washington sees better India-Pakistan relations as crucial so lslamabad, not having to worry about its eastern border with India, can focus on fighting the Taliban on its western border with Afghanistan.
U.S. pressure apart, India’s willingness for dialogue with Pakistan now could be aimed at boosting the credibility of the civilian government in Islamabad in the face of military hawks in the army and its military intelligence, Indian analysts say.
—–Agencies