ID :
171095
Sun, 03/27/2011 - 13:01
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/171095
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Indo-Pak Home Secretaries to meet tomorrow
New Delhi, Mar 27 (PTI) Home Secretaries of India and
Pakistan will meet here for two days from Monday in the
shadow of a possible summit meeting between the two sides on
the margins of the cricket encounter in Mohali.
No breakthrough is expected in the official-level
talks being held after a gap of nine months, officials here
say but they expect "ice may be broken" for the resumption of
substantial dialogue later.
The two-day meeting between Indian Home Secretary
Gopal K Pillai and his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhary Qamar
Zaman will deliberate on a wide range of issues, including
Islamabad's reluctance in co-operating fully in bringing to
justice the perpetrators of 26/11 attacks.
The meeting comes ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh's possible meeting with his Pakistan counterpart Yousuf
Raza Gilani, the invitation for which was sent only on Friday
after it emerged that India and Pakistan will clash in the
World Cup semi-final at Mohali on Wednesday.
"Pakistan's lack of sincerity in cooperating with
India in any anti-terror initiatives could be the reason
behind little enthusiasm on the part of Indian security
establishment towards the talks," an official said.
The prosecution's attempt in Pakistan to bring the
26/11 guilty to justice "has not moved an inch" and India's
request for providing the voice samples of the handlers of the
attackers has fallen on deaf ears.
When Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram had asked for
action against the 26/11 perpetrators and voice samples of
handlers of the attackers during his Islamabad visit last
year, his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik told him that
"you would not be disappointed by our response."
But nine months down the line, there is no Pakistani
response, officials point out.
"So how can we expect that this meeting will bring a
major breakthrough for us?," the official asked.
Besides, no key person, who was actually involved in
the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes or giving directions to the
attackers, has been arrested in Pakistan and only second or
third-level conspirators were put behind the bars.
Indian investigators have transcripts of the recorded
conversations between the terrorists at each of the sites of
the attacks and their handlers based in Pakistan.
India has given the names, photographs and addresses
of the handlers and Pakistan just need to check out their
voices. But no response has been provided to it yet.
New Delhi had also conveyed to Islamabad that it wants
to send a commission to Pakistan to question jailed
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including Zaki-ur-Rehman
Lakhvi.
India is yet to get any response to it though New
Delhi conveyed to Islamabad that a similar Commission could be
sent by Pakistan to India to question the investigating
officer of the 26/11 probe and the judge of the trial court.
"We are naturally disappointed over Pakistan's delay
in bringing the perpetrators of Mumbai terror attacks to
justice. This meeting will be a low key affairs," said the
official.
However, issues like dismantling of terror camps
across the border, handing over of voice samples of Mumbai
terror attack masterminds and progress in Samjhauta Express
blast probe are expected to dominate the agenda of the two
Home Secretaries dialogue.
New Delhi will also ask Islamabad to hand over Indian
Mujhahideen terrorists and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim
taking shelter in that country and check inflow of fake
Indian currency notes.
Pakistan is expected to ask India about the progress
of Samjhauta Express blast probe in which activists of right-
wing groups were allegedly involved. Majority of the victims
of the train, which runs between India and Pakistan, were from
the neighbouring country.
The proposed talks will be the first structured
bilateral secretary-level meeting on counter-terrorism after
India and Pakistan decided to resume comprehensive talks.
More than two years after India had suspended the
composite dialogue with Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai
terror attacks in November, 2008, the two sides decided in
Thimphu in February this year to resume comprehensive dialogue
on all outstanding issues.
After the Home Secretary level talks, Commerce
Secretaries and Water Resources Secretaries of the two
countries are expected to meet in the near future.
Pakistan will meet here for two days from Monday in the
shadow of a possible summit meeting between the two sides on
the margins of the cricket encounter in Mohali.
No breakthrough is expected in the official-level
talks being held after a gap of nine months, officials here
say but they expect "ice may be broken" for the resumption of
substantial dialogue later.
The two-day meeting between Indian Home Secretary
Gopal K Pillai and his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhary Qamar
Zaman will deliberate on a wide range of issues, including
Islamabad's reluctance in co-operating fully in bringing to
justice the perpetrators of 26/11 attacks.
The meeting comes ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh's possible meeting with his Pakistan counterpart Yousuf
Raza Gilani, the invitation for which was sent only on Friday
after it emerged that India and Pakistan will clash in the
World Cup semi-final at Mohali on Wednesday.
"Pakistan's lack of sincerity in cooperating with
India in any anti-terror initiatives could be the reason
behind little enthusiasm on the part of Indian security
establishment towards the talks," an official said.
The prosecution's attempt in Pakistan to bring the
26/11 guilty to justice "has not moved an inch" and India's
request for providing the voice samples of the handlers of the
attackers has fallen on deaf ears.
When Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram had asked for
action against the 26/11 perpetrators and voice samples of
handlers of the attackers during his Islamabad visit last
year, his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik told him that
"you would not be disappointed by our response."
But nine months down the line, there is no Pakistani
response, officials point out.
"So how can we expect that this meeting will bring a
major breakthrough for us?," the official asked.
Besides, no key person, who was actually involved in
the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes or giving directions to the
attackers, has been arrested in Pakistan and only second or
third-level conspirators were put behind the bars.
Indian investigators have transcripts of the recorded
conversations between the terrorists at each of the sites of
the attacks and their handlers based in Pakistan.
India has given the names, photographs and addresses
of the handlers and Pakistan just need to check out their
voices. But no response has been provided to it yet.
New Delhi had also conveyed to Islamabad that it wants
to send a commission to Pakistan to question jailed
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including Zaki-ur-Rehman
Lakhvi.
India is yet to get any response to it though New
Delhi conveyed to Islamabad that a similar Commission could be
sent by Pakistan to India to question the investigating
officer of the 26/11 probe and the judge of the trial court.
"We are naturally disappointed over Pakistan's delay
in bringing the perpetrators of Mumbai terror attacks to
justice. This meeting will be a low key affairs," said the
official.
However, issues like dismantling of terror camps
across the border, handing over of voice samples of Mumbai
terror attack masterminds and progress in Samjhauta Express
blast probe are expected to dominate the agenda of the two
Home Secretaries dialogue.
New Delhi will also ask Islamabad to hand over Indian
Mujhahideen terrorists and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim
taking shelter in that country and check inflow of fake
Indian currency notes.
Pakistan is expected to ask India about the progress
of Samjhauta Express blast probe in which activists of right-
wing groups were allegedly involved. Majority of the victims
of the train, which runs between India and Pakistan, were from
the neighbouring country.
The proposed talks will be the first structured
bilateral secretary-level meeting on counter-terrorism after
India and Pakistan decided to resume comprehensive talks.
More than two years after India had suspended the
composite dialogue with Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai
terror attacks in November, 2008, the two sides decided in
Thimphu in February this year to resume comprehensive dialogue
on all outstanding issues.
After the Home Secretary level talks, Commerce
Secretaries and Water Resources Secretaries of the two
countries are expected to meet in the near future.
