Trust, ties, terror on Indo-Pak agenda
Humanitarian issues such as people-to-people ties and exchange of prisoners are expected to be discussed when the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan meet in Islamabad on Thursday.
New Delhi is certain to raise the issue of terrorism emanating from across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir if the Pakistani side raises the pitch on Kashmir, but the focus is likely to be on confidence and trust-building measures.
On the eve of external affairs minister S.M. Krishna’s departure, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chaired a meeting of the Cabinet committee on security (CCS) here on Tuesday to discuss the agenda of Mr Krishna’s talks with his Pakistan counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan have been tasked by their Prime Ministers, who met in Thimphu in April, to bridge the trust deficit so that it can lead to a substantive dialogue on issues of mutual concern.
New Delhi has indicated that it was going in for the talks with an open mind but the least it expects from Islamabad is credible and effective action against those involved in terror activities against it, particularly those responsible for orchestrating the Mumbai terror attacks.
Both sides have deliberately chosen not to label the foreign ministers’ talks as resumption of the stalled composite dialogue process.
India and Pakistan have concluded four rounds of the composite dialogue. The fifth round of the dialogue process was suspended after the Mumbai attacks.
The composite dialogue process comprised the eight issues of peace and security, including confidence building measures; Jammu and Kashmir; Siachen; Sir Creek; Wullar Barrage/Tulbul navigation project; terrorism and drug trafficking; economic and commercial cooperation; and promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields.
Regional issues such as Afghanistan are likely to come up for discussion, too. Both Mr Krishna and Mr Qureshi are expected to participate in the Afghanistan conference to be held in Kabul on July 20.
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