Thaindian News

By M.R. Narayan Swamy
Islamabad, July 15 (IANS) India and Pakistan ended their first major bilateral dialogue after the Mumbai terror attack here Thursday, but the extended six hours of discussions saw them tripping over Jammu and Kashmir and Balochistan.

Both Foreign Ministers S.M. Krishna of India and Shah Mahmood Qureshi of Pakistan said separately that they had free and frank talks - a diplomatic euphemism to mean they had differences - but vowed to renew their dialogue that was derailed by the November 2008 Mumbai savagery that left 166 people dead.

“We had a very frank, candid and honest discussion on where we stand (and) how do we move forward,” Qureshi told Indian and Pakistani journalists packing the briefing room in the foreign ministry here.

Qureshi said while Pakistan would use the leads provided by India to bring to justice the masterminds of the Mumbai strike, India should also take up issues of “core importance” to Islamabad.

He said the two delegations discussed issues such as terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir - including the latest unrest in the Kashmir Valley - Sir Creek, Siachen and possible ways of engaging economically.

“This was a useful meeting, a useful engagement, and we have decided to continue it,” Qureshi said.

In his remarks, Krishna, whose three-day visit ends Friday, described the discussions as “cordial, frank and useful” and said the two countries were talking knowing well the complexities and challenges of their relationship.

He underlined it was vital for India that Pakistan should “pursue vigorously” the trial of the accused in the Mumbai attack “to unravel the conspiracy and bring all the perpetrators to justice”.

He added that this alone would be the biggest confidence-building measure.

While Krishna pointed out that the security measures taken in Jammu and Kashmir to meet the street protests since June were an internal matter of India, Qureshi said the allegations of human rights violations, imposition of curfew and killings of civilians in the Kashmir Valley were “issues of concern to everyone”.

On Balochistan, Krishna said Pakistan had not provided even a shred of evidence to prove that India was involved in the insurgency in the sprawling province.

On his part, Qureshi he took up firmly Pakistan’s position on Balochistan, where India is accused of providing covert help to insurgent groups.

The Indian minister spoke about the increased infiltration of militants from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir. Qureshi said the Pakistani government and its intelligence agencies had nothing to do with the infiltration.

Qureshi also hit out at Indian Home Secretary G.K. Pillai for alleging on the eve of Krishna’s visit that Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was involved in the Mumbai attack that New Delhi says was carried out by Pakistani terrorists.

(M.R. Narayan Swamy can be contacted at narayan.swamy@ians.in)