No substantive talks till Pakistan ends anti-India terror

New Delhi, July 24 (PTI) Even as it has begun a "limited
dialogue" with Pakistan, India on Friday made it clear that
resumption of substantive talks will depend on actions by
Islamabad which are still not satisfactory.

India is also ready to discuss the "internal" issue of
Balochistan with Pakistan as it asserts that its "hands are
clean". At the same time, Government sources rubbished a
Pakistani media report which claimed that Islamabad had given
to New Delhi a "dossier" about India's involvement in
Balochistan.

Amid an uproar over delinking of talks from action
against terror in the Indo-Pak joint statement, the sources
said it had been interpreted wrongly.

According to the Indian interpretation, Pakistan cannot
shy away from action against terror irrespective of whether or
not the dialogue takes place.

The sources maintained that India's position remained the
same that there can be no dialogue till Pakistan takes action
to end cross-border terrorism on the same lines as it has done
against Taliban.

They, however, noted that the "limited dialogue" had been
initiated in the sense that the Foreign Secretaries have met
and will continue to meet.

Even if substantive talks are resumed, it is not certain
that these will be in the form of composite dialogue as India
feels that the "pledge" associated with launch of composite
dialogue in January 2004 has not been kept by Pakistan.

The composite dialogue was premised on the assurance that
terrorism will end but India continued to suffer attack after
attack, making it to rethink on the utility of its
continuance.

"Are we supposed to give credence to that form of
(composite) dialogue? What form of dialogue and when it will
take place, will depend on actions by Pakistan to dismantle
terror infrastructure, punish those behind Kabul embassy blast
and Mumbai attacks and prevent future attacks," the sources
said.


They said that India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had
himself made it "firmly" clear to his Pakistani counterpart
Yousuf Raza Gilani during their meeting in Sharm-el Sheikh
last week.

At the meeting, Pakistani side gave one-and-a-half page
list of actions on Mumbai, in an attempt to show that it had
done hard work. It contained photos and details of five
persons arrested and 13 other absconding persons.

Noting that India was dealing with the situation as at
present, the sources said there is no room for
"reconstructing" the past as things are fluid.

So far, India is not satisfied with the steps taken by
Pakistan although the government here recognises that
Islamabad has taken certain actions, which were unexpected in
December last year and had never happened earlier.

India feels that the actions taken by Pakistan on Mumbai
attacks so far -- arresting five persons -- is the maximum it
would do as there will be an effort to protect Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed and elements in the establishment.

Future actions by Pakistan would be keenly watched by
India before it determines its response.

"Over a period of time we will see what Pakistan does. We
have to keep re-examining. we have a long way to go while
dealing with Pakistan," the sources said.

On Indian defence attaches based in Islamabad meeting ISI
chief Shuja Pasha, the sources justified it by pointing out
that the intelligence agency is a powerful unit of Pakistan's
system and the "source" of terrorism problem faced by India.

It, however, does not mean that such talks will be
institutionalised as India has to carefully deal with the ISI
and its chief to avoid giving credibility to the agency.

The Joint statement, drafted in "bits and pieces" as the
Foreign Secretaries held a series of discussions starting on
July 14 till the Prime Ministers met, has also come under
attack over mention of Balochistan as Pakistan accuses India
for the unrest there.

The government sources sought to play down the
controversy by saying it only marks mention of what Gilani
said during the meeting. "Why should we be nervous about
having this there? We have nothing to hide. Our hands are
clean," they underlined.

Maintaining that India has nothing to do with whatever
has been happening in Balochistan for the last 60 years, the
sources said if Islamabad wants to bring its "internal matter"
on the table, New Delhi has no problem in discussing it.

The sources also asserted that Pakistan has not given any
"dossier" or "any material" claiming involvement of India in
Balochistan during the Singh-Gilani meeting as has been
reported in Pakistani media.

The sources said may be "some elements of the
establishment" gave Gilani the dossier but he did not even
show it during meeting with the Prime Minister.

Earlier, in 2006, soon after the killing of rebel leader
Nawab Bukti in an air raid, Pakistan had given the "so-called
dossier" to the US, UK, France and some other countries but it
was rubbished by them as "unbelievable", the sources said,
adding nobody has ever asked India any question on Balochistan
issue.

Not worried by the prospect of Pakistan raking up
Balochistan issue in the future, they said Islamabad has been
doing it for long but without success as it lacks credibility.

New Delhi wants Islamabad to maintain focus on taking
action against those behind the Mumbai attacks and dismantle
the terror infrastructure.

India feels that whatever actions Pakistan has taken so
far are because "parts of its establishment" have realised
that the matter has gone beyond the stage where they could
"deny and hide".

The sources attribute it to the massive international
pressure on Pakistan, generated by Indian efforts. PTI AKK
RAI
NNNN





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