India and Pakistan on Thursday started two-day talks to resolve the issues between them with analysts expecting little except goodwill.
Among the issues discussed were the slow pace of the Mumbai terror attack trial in Pakistan, the Samjhauta bombing case and existing conventional and nuclear confidence-building measures.
[India’s concerns over terror and the slow pace of the Mumbai trial were discussed in the first round. The Samjhauta bombing case also came up with both sides holding “substantive” deliberations in a “forward looking” approach, PTI reports from Islamabad. “All aspects relating to peace and security have been discussed and terrorism is an issue confronting both countries and, of course, it’s very relevant to peace and security,” the official spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs, Mr Vishnu Prakash, said. [“They also exchanged views on all issues relevant to peace and security, including CBMs that exist... A number of ideas were discussed and reflected upon. The talks were substantive, held in a very cordial atmosphere and were forward looking,” said Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua.]
“The talks are good but we cannot expect any breakthrough. The two sides remain stuck to their viewpoints, which make results difficult,” a political analyst told this newspaper earlier. “Even if they agree to take the talks further it would be a success. We cannot expect miracles,” another political commentator said here.
Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao arrived in Islamabad on Thursday to hold talks with her Pakistani counterpart, Mr Salman Bashir. Ms Rao said that trust between the two countries should be revived. “This is an important visit as it marks the penultimate leg of the resumed dialogue process before the visit of the foreign minister of Pakistan to India by July 2011,” she added.
At the beginning of the first round, Mr Bashir said, “We wish to engage with you in not only walking the trajectory but also exploring new avenues further.” He added that “this series of meetings is of great importance”. Officials at the Pakistan foreign office said there would be two rounds of talks. “They will discuss peace- and security-related issues on June 23 while on June 24 they will focus on the Jammu and Kashmir issue,” said an official. “The two sides will also finalise the dates for the meeting of the foreign ministers in New Delhi next month,” he added.
[The two sides also reviewed existing conventional and nuclear CBMs. There was a positive tone and tenor during the talks, Ms Janjua was quoted as saying by PTI. The revelations of the terror links of the ISI, as revealed in Pakistani-Canadian terror operative Tahawwur Rana’s trial in a Chicago court, were also deliberated upon as all aspects were discussed, PTI reports.
[The two sides first held restricted talks, which were followed by the delegation-level meeting in which Ms Rao was accompanied by joint secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) Yashvardhan Sinha, joint secretary (nuclear disarmament) Venkatesh Verma, Indian high commissioner Sharat Sabharwal and other senior officials, PTI reports.]
Minister for external affairs S.M. Krishna told reporters in New Delhi earlier this week that talks between the foreign secretaries would narrow the trust deficit and pave the way for normalisation of relations. The foreign secretaries will also review the results of the meetings between the home/interior, commerce and defence secretaries of the two countries held since the two foreign secretaries met at Thimphu on the margins of the Saarc summit.
The foreign secretaries’ meeting will be followed by the foreign ministers’ meeting in July. They would take up the “Siachen territorial conflict and visa issues by the end of July,” said an official.