India, Pak Foreign Secretaries meet; discuss terrorism

V Mohan Narayan

Sharm el-Shiekh (Egypt), Jul 15 (PTI) Foreign Secretaries
of India and Pakistan have met and held "good detailed
discussions" on terrorism here ahead of Thursday's meeting
between Prime Ministers of the two countries to review
Islamabad's action on its commitment to bring to justice the
perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks.

Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and his
Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir held talks Tuesday night
for 90 minutes during which they discussed at length issues
like terrorism, the sources said, adding that they will be
meeting again on Wednesday.

Sources said there is a possibility of a joint statement
or a media interaction by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani after their
meeting here on Thursday.

The sources said the joint media appearance by Singh and
Gilani may take place after they hear from their Foreign
Secretaries.

Menon, arriving here from Paris accompanying the Prime
Minister who was the Chief Guest at the French National Day,
is understood to have reviewed with Bashir Islamabad's actions
to bring the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks to justice and put
an end to terrorism emanating from its soil against India.

The two top diplomats are believed to have discussed the
progress made by Islamabad in its probe into the 26/11 strikes
and the steps taken to dismantle terrorism infrastructure on
its soil.

The discussions between Menon and Bashir will serve as
the basis for Thursday's meeting between Singh and Gilani.

Ahead of the meeting, External Affairs Minister of
India S M Krishna on Tuesday demanded a "visible response" and
undertaking from Pakistan on bringing the perpetrators of
Mumbai terror attacks to justice.

Krishna told reporters here that India would like a
"visible response" from Pakistan whose commitment is to bring
to justice the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks and the earlier
attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul.

Gilani, who also arrived here on Tuesday, said he will
approach the meeting with Singh with an "open heart and a
positive mind."

The Pakistani premier refused to comment on the issue
of the provincial government of Punjab withdrawing petitions
challenging the release of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Mohammed Saeed.

Menon and Bashir will report to their principals on
their discussions which India wants focused on Pakistan's
action against the terrorists involved in the Mumbai attacks.

The discussions between the two top officials are also
believed to have covered the flip-flop in Pakistan over the
arrest and release of Saeed and the withdrawal of petitions
challenging his release from the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The talks come four days after Pakistan handed over a
fresh dossier on its probe into the Mumbai terror attacks to
India.

The dossier, handed over to the Indian High Commission
officials in Islamabad on Saturday, identifies 13 new suspects
and gives an update on Pakistan's investigations into the
November 26 attacks.

After Singh's disclosure on Saturday that ISI chief
has met some officials of the Indian High Commission in
Islamabad, speculation has been rife about the powerful spy
agency's influence in the process of talks.

The Indian side is unwilling to hazard a guess on
whether ISI will be part of the talks, saying it amounts to
jumping several steps.

Singh hopes to get from Gilani a categorical
commitment that the Mumbai terror accused would be quickly
brought to justice and Pakistan's soil will not be used for
terror acts against India.

The Pakistani side expressed desire to return to the
Composite Dialogue Process. It was of the view that India and
Pakistan cannot be held hostage to one trial, apparently
referring to India's insistence on bringing Mumbai terror
attacks mastermind Hafiz Mohammed Saeed to justice. PTI