Manmohan Singh, Gilani to meet Thursday

V Mohan Narayan
Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt), July 15 (PTI) India Wednesday
appeared to be seeing signs of thaw in relationship with
Pakistan as prime ministers of the two countries meet here
Thursday to review progress in Islamabad's actions to punish
the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks.

Foreign Secretaries of the two countries Wednesday
discussed a whole range of issues including the detention and
release of Jamaat Ud Dawaa chief Mohammed Hafeez Saeed,
believed to be the mastermind of the 26/11 attacks.

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir talked of a
"tall order" after his 90-minute meeting with Memon in the
small hours of the day, shortly after the Indian official
landed from Paris.

"We want to have a broad-based engagement. We want to
turn the corner in our relatiopnshi. We have agreed to
continue our conversation. There is a tall order. It is
uphill. Pakistan is prepared," Bashir said on his meeting with
Menon in which they discussed all bilateral issues.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet his Pakistani
counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani Thursday morning in which
Pakistan's actions on its commitment to bring to justice the
perpetrators of the November terror attacks.

Sounding positive on the Indo-Pak engagement in this
sea resort town, Krishna said "Well, I think there is less
acrimony now now. Even the statement made by Pakistan in the
ministerial conference was a mild on and perhaps it might be
the harpbinger of the kind of relationship between the two
countries which is in mutual interest."

On Bashir's stand that talks between the two countries
should not not be held hostage to one or the other issue like
Saeed, Krishna said Pakistan did make an attempt to go at
Saeed but the court released him.

"Wisdom would have dictated that they should have
appealed in a higher court of law. But let us wait for the
unfolding of the events further," he said adding one would
have to await the outcome of the crucial meeting of the prime
ministers.

Singh-Gilani meeting is a following of the discussions
the prime minister had with President Asif Ali Zardari in
Yekaterinberg in Russia last month when a stern message was
given to Pakistan that it will have to stop terror emanating
from its soil directed against India.

On Pakistani investigations into the Mumbai attack,
Bashir said these were not not primarily the domain of foreign
ministries but were making it possible for the relevant people
to communicate with each other.

"And I think it goes to the credit of both sides that
we have been able to communicate all the different aspects of
those investigations," he said.

Bashir said his talks with Menon were good, open and
frank and covered all issues. "It was more than terror. We
talked about all issues. We talked about bilateral relations.
We want to have a broad-based engagement. We want to turn the
corner in our relationship," he said.

On concerns in India about the Saeed issue, Bashir
said this was also touched upon but it was important to
understand that what they were doing to beyond certain
specific things.

"The stakes are too high just to link them to one or
the other issue. I think we are very clear on a lot of
matters. Of course, we do understand the Indian position but
that is centred on the issue on Mumbai and post-Mumbai. We
want to get past that," he said.

He would not not like to comment on whether Saeed
should be arrested this was a matter of subjudice.

The two foreign secretaries are to meet late tonight to
prepare further ground for the meeting of the prime ministers.

Sources said there is a possibility of a joint
statement or a media interaction by Singh and Gilani after
their meeting.

Gilani had yesterday said he would hold talks with
Singh with an open mind as he believed that any pause in
bilateral dialogue would benefit terrorists. PTI