NEW DELHI: With prime ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif deciding in Paris last month to take the Indo-Pak dialogue process forward, talks between the national security advisers will now run parallel to the comprehensive bilateral dialogue between the neighbouring countries.
The two mechanisms will also be linked to the progress made by Islamabad on its commitment to cooperate in the fight against terrorism and expedite the 26/11 trial, official said. The twin-track process may come up for bilateral review by the two PMs on the sidelines of the SAARC regional summit in Islamabad next year.
After a green signal from the PMs, a successful meeting in Bangkok between NSA Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart, Lt Gen Nasir Khan Janjua, prepared the ground for talks between the foreign ministers and the revival of the comprehensive dialogue in a sign of thawing ties. Sources said first Doval and then external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj made it amply clear that Islamabad would have to move fast to conclude the 26/11 trial as public perception in India about the neighbouring nation was coloured by the Mumbai attacks, which bore the imprints of both Pakistan’s state machinery and the LeT terror group. When the two NSAs met in Bangkok, Doval apparently asked Janjua to produce proof of Indian agencies working against Pakistan or even indicate if any Indian had been incarcerated for terror crimes in that country.
Doval explained India’s concerns at length, citing examples of various terrorists and “a Karachibased mafia don” who were supported by the Pakistani establishment. Islamabad should not live in denial about Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in India as no less than 70 of its nationals are in Indian jails on terror charges and another 3,000 have been killed, he said.
Sources said Janjua heard “with positivity” Indian suggestions that evidence collected by Mumbai police should be made admissible in the 26/11 trial in Islamabad as both countries agree that the attack and conspiracy were hatched in Pakistan. It was also suggested that Pakistan should take action against the four terrorists sitting in the 26/11 control room, whose voices have been identified based on Indian communication intercepts. No dossiers were exchanged between the NSAs as the two sides decided to hammer out all key issues.
Though Indian opposition parties have criticised the Narendra Modi government for allowing the “Kashmir” word to enter the NSA-level dialogue, importantly, the ground situation on terrorism, cross-border firing and the Kashmiri separatist Hurriyat group’s past links with terrorist organisations were discussed at the meeting. While India allowed the reference to Kashmir, NSA Janjua indicated that Pak army action would not remain confined to terrorists operating on the Durand Line separating his country with Afghanistan but would also focus on its eastern borders with India.
India and Pakistan have agreed to hold a comprehensive bilateral dialogue on outstanding issues, including terrorism and Kashmir
KEY POINTS
THE WORD ‘comprehensive’ replaces ‘composite’ in the structured dialogue between the two sides. The comprehensive dialogue will have the eight baskets of issues that were part of the earlier composite dialogue, and two additional components. Two new components are humanitarian issues and religious tourism. Already on the table were peace and security, confidence-building measures, Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar barrage/Tulbul navigation project, economic and commercial cooperation, counter-terrorism, narcotics control and people-to-people contacts.
HT FILEThe comprehensive dialogue will have eight baskets of issues that were part of the earlier composite dialogue.
FOR THE first time, the two national security advisers will play a key role in talks. The joint statement said Swaraj and Aziz had noted the successful talks on terrorism and security-related issues by the NSAs in Bangkok and decided that the “NSAs will continue to address all issues connected to terrorism”. Under the composite dialogue format, terrorism was handled by the foreign secretaries.
PAKISTAN HAS assured India of the steps being taken to expedite the early conclusion of the Mumbai attack trial. THERE IS no green signal yet to cricketing ties between the two nations. Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shahryar Khan was quoted in the local media as saying that India “did not respond positively” to proposals for a bilateral cricket series.