|
New Delhi, February, 8 : As India and Pakistan
head towards Foreign Secretary-level talks, New Delhi is making
it clear that this is the beginning of an “incremental process.”
How far it will go still depends on steps Pakistan takes to curb
cross-border terror.
India has proposed February 18 or 25 as possible dates for the
talks in New Delhi, but Islamabad is yet to get back on that.
New Delhi insists that any meaningful dialogue needs an environment
free of terror – and India is still looking at Islamabad to
deliver on its concerns about terror group based in Pakistan. India’s
core concern at the talks between Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao
and her counterpart Salman Bashir would be crossborder terrorism.
New Delhi also wants to discuss the state of bilateral relations,
including trade and confidence-building measures.
Islamabad is free to raise other issues – a signal that Kashmir
and Balochistan might figure even if New Delhi feels that there
are more pressing issues to be discussed.
But New Delhi is clear that this should not be seen as the resumption
of the 80-issue composite dialogue, stalled by India after terrorists
from Pakistan attacked Mumbai in November 2008.
There is also concern that another attack of the 26/11 level at
this point could jeopardise the latest effort. India expects Pakistan
to ensure that this doesn’t happen as it would be a serious
setback to the process of normalising relations.
The offer of talks has been reported in the media at an awkward
moment.
Television channels are showing clips of an anti-India meeting
by Lashkare- Toiba front Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). But the Indian invitation
for talks went out around January-end, and the two Foreign Secretaries
have been in touch earlier as well.
The JuD’s activities would be one of the concerns India is
expected to raise when the Foreign Secretaries meet.
When Parliament re-opens for business this month, the Manmohan
Singh Government could face protests from the Opposition over the
U-turn after declaring that it won’t resume the dialogue with
Pakistan till it shows some results But Delhi is taking the line
that it was now time to begin talking, though cautiously.
Pakistan has taken `some’ steps to curb terror attacks from
its territory and India needed to open a line of communication to
better discuss its concerns with Pakistan.
|
