FACTBOX-What are the major issues between India and Pakistan?

July 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – The foreign ministers of nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India are holding their first substantive talks since the Mumbai attacks of 2008 in Islamabad on Thursday. [ID:nSGE66D0EY]

The talks between S.M. Krishna of India and Shah Mehmood Qureshi of Pakistan are widely seen as the first step in trying to revive a peace process broken off in the wake of the attacks on India’s financial capital.

Here are some of the main issues between the neighbours:

SECURITY

For India, security is the top issue. It has refused to resume a series of talks known as the composite dialogue until Pakistan takes more action against Pakistan-based militant groups.

In particular, India wants Pakistan to show it is serious in reining in the militants behind the Mumbai attacks, in which 166 people were killed.

This is complicated by Indian suspicions that the Pakistan security establishment backed the militants in some way. On the eve of the talks, Indian Home Secretary G.K. Pillai escalated the charges and directly blamed Pakistan’s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency for the attacks.

“It was not just a peripheral role,” he was quoted as saying by the Indian Express newspaper. “They were literally controlling and coordinating it from the beginning till the end.”

For its part, Pakistan accuses India of backing separatists in its Baluchistan province and providing weapons and funding to Pakistan Taliban groups, charges India denies.

KASHMIR

The divided, mostly Muslim Himalayan region of Kashmir is at the heart of hostility between the neighbours and was the cause of two of their three wars since independence from Britain in 1947. The third was over the founding of Bangladesh.

Separatists began an insurgency against Indian rule in 1989 — a movement almost immediately backed by Pakistan — and since then tens of thousands of people have been killed. Most fighters want all of Kashmir to become part of Pakistan but many ordinary Kashmiris want independence from both India and Pakistan.

Krishna and Qureshi will have to sidestep another danger — getting bogged down in a blame game over ongoing anti-government protests in a part of Kashmir held by India.

Violent anti-government protests have swept India-controlled Kashmir for almost a month. The region is under an army lockdown.

WATER

The two countries disagree over use of the water flowing down rivers that rise in Indian Kashmir and run into the Indus river basin in Pakistan.

The use of the water is governed by the 1960 Indus Water Treaty under which India was granted the use of water from three eastern rivers, and Pakistan the use of three western rivers.

Pakistan says India is unfairly diverting water with the upstream construction of barrages and dams. India denies the charge.

SIACHEN

Indian and Pakistani forces have faced off against each other in mountains above the Siachen glacier in the Karakoram range, the world’s highest battlefield, since 1984.

The two sides have been trying to find a solution that would allow them to withdraw troops, but India says it is unwilling to bring its forces down until Pakistan officially authenticates the positions they hold.

Pakistan has said it is willing to do so but on the condition that it is not a final endorsement of India’s claim over the glacier, a source of meltwater for Pakistan’s rivers.

AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan has become a major source of friction, although Indian and Pakistani differences over Pakistan’s western neighbour have not been a part of their official talks.

The two countries have long competed for influence there and Pakistan is deeply suspicious of a rise in India’s presence after the fall of the Islamabad-backed Taliban government in 2001.

It accuses India of using Afghanistan as a base to create problems inside Pakistan, including backing separatists in its Baluchistan province. India denies the accusations, saying its focus is on development.

This rivalry is complicating U.S.-led efforts to end an intensifying Taliban insurgency and bring stability to Afghanistan more than eight years after the Taliban were ousted. (Compiled by Chris Allbritton and Zeeshan Haider in Islamabad; Editing by Sugita Katyal) (For more coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: here)

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FACTBOX-What are the issues between India and Pakistan?

June 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – The top diplomats of nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India hold their second meeting in three months on Thursday in Islamabad amid continuing efforts to normalise relations strained by the Mumbai attacks of 2008.

Here are some of the main problems between the neighbours.

SECURITY

For India, security is the top issue. It has refused to resume a series of talks known as the composite dialogue until Pakistan takes more action against Pakistan-based militant groups.

In particular, India wants Pakistan to show it is serious in reining in the militants behind the Mumbai attacks, in which 166 people were killed.

Pakistan accuses India of backing separatists in its Baluchistan province and providing weapons and funding to Pakistan Taliban groups, charges India denies.

KASHMIR

The mostly Muslim Himalayan region of Kashmir is at the heart of hostility between the neighbours and was the cause of two of their three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 (the third was over the founding of Bangladesh).

Separatists backed by Pakistan began an insurgency against Indian rule in 1989 and since then tens of thousands of people have been killed. Most fighters want Kashmir to become part of Pakistan but many ordinary Kashmiris want independence from both India and Pakistan.

WATER

The two countries disagree over use of the water flowing down rivers which rise in Indian Kashmir and run into the Indus river basin in Pakistan.

The use of the water is governed by the 1960 Indus Water Treaty under which India was granted the use of water from three eastern rivers, and Pakistan the use of three western rivers.

Pakistan says India is unfairly diverting water with the upstream construction of barrages and dams. India denies the charge.

SIACHEN

Indian and Pakistani forces have faced off against each other in mountains above the Siachen glacier in the Karakoram range, in the world’s highest battlefield, since 1984.

The two sides have been trying to find a solution that would allow them to withdraw troops, but India says it is unwilling to bring its forces down until Pakistan officially authenticates the positions they hold.

Pakistan has said it is willing to do so but on the condition that it is not a final endorsement of India’s claim over the glacier, an important source of meltwater for Pakistan’s rivers.

AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan has become a major source of friction although Indian and Pakistani differences over Pakistan’s western neighbour have not been a part of their official talks.

The two countries have long competed for influence there and Pakistan is deeply suspicious of a rise in India’s presence after the fall of the Islamabad-backed Taliban government in 2001.

It accuses India of using Afghanistan as a base to create problems inside Pakistan, including backing separatists in its Baluchistan province. India denies the accusations, saying its focus is on development.

This rivalry is complicating U.S.-led efforts to end an intensifying Taliban insurgency and bring stability to Afghanistan more than eight years after the Taliban were ousted.

(Compiled by Chris Allbritton and Zeeshan Haider in Islamabad)

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Obama elevated dialogue with ‘emerging global power’ India

May 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 27 (IANS) The US says the Obama administration felt it important to elevate its dialogue with New Delhi as India is a ‘a great and emerging global power’ with which the US has a significant range of interests.

‘I think the strategic dialogue speaks for itself,’ State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley told reporters Wednesday when asked to give a sense of US-India relations in the first 17 months of Obama Administration.

‘India is a great and emerging global power. Our range of interests are significant in terms of the environment, in terms of regional security, in terms of counterterrorism, economic issues,’ he said.

‘We have very strong cultural ties to India, so we look forward to the strategic dialogue,’ he said referring to the June 3-4 inaugural India-US strategic dialogue led by Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

‘It’s something that the Secretary and the President (Barack Obama) felt important to elevate the level of our coordination and cooperation,’ he said. ‘So we look forward to the dialogue.

‘I think our relations with India have never been stronger. We are talking about the relations between the largest and oldest democracies in the world. We have a great deal in common and we look forward to the meetings next week,’ Crowley added.

Asked about a report that Pakistan has asked for US help in bridging the trust deficit with India, the US official said trust deficit was essentially a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, but US will continue to encourage both of its ‘friends’ to enhance their dialogue and cooperation.

‘Well, the trust deficit, as it’s been called, between India and Pakistan is most significantly a bilateral issue between Pakistan and India,’ he said.

The US, Crowley said, had ‘encouraged both Pakistan and India to enhance its dialogue in a cooperation’ as it was ‘friends with both countries’ and has ‘strong and strengthening relationships’ with both.

‘We are gratified that both countries seem to be moving in a direction that – to see that dialogue become deeper. So we will continue to encourage both countries to pursue the commitments that both have made and pledged publicly.’

Asked what role the US had played in India banning over 100 terrorist organizations and Pakistan arresting an army major in connection with the failed Times Square bombing, Crowley said: ‘First of all, these were steps taken by India and Pakistan.’

Security and counterterrorism were an ingredient of its dialogue in the US relationship with both countries, Crowley said describing it as ‘a shared challenge that the United States, India, Pakistan, other countries have.

‘It’s a global challenge. So we welcome the efforts of these countries to try to reduce the threat not only within the region, but more broadly.’

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)

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Akram backs India, Pakistan as joint favourites for ICC T20 title

April 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Karachi, Apr.29 (ANI): Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram has backed both India and defending champions Pakistan as favourites to lift the ICC World T20 Championship, starting April 30 in the West Indies.

Akram said both the sub-continental giants have the talent and passion to take home the coveted silverware.

“Australia and South Africa are also capable of winning but the nature of the West Indies pitches make Pakistan and India favourites, because they will help sub-continent spinners,” The Daily Times quoted Akram, as saying.

He said that since the Pakistani team has not played much international cricket in the recent past, it has the hunger to do well.

“Pakistan have been starved of cricket, so they have the thirst to win the title again,” Akram said.

He pointed that Pakistan has got a fighter in skipper Shahid Afridi, who possess the aggression needed at the international stage.

“You need someone like Afridi as captain in Twenty20 cricket. He has aggression needed in a leader and in a short Twenty20 match he will always sparkle,” Akram said.

He said the Pakistan squad has a number of talented players who can rise to the occasion and create trouble for even the best teams in the world.

“Look at the available talent, Afridi can single-handedly win a Twenty20 match as he is equally lethal with bat and ball, and then the depth in bowling makes Pakistan favourites,” said the former pacer, who is regarded as one of greatest swing bowlers of all time.

Speaking about India’s chances, Akram said: “What I have seen is a remarkable passion in the Indian players as well as in the public to win this title, and they too have a very good team.”

Akram said that a final between the 2007 champions India and the defending champions Pakistan is what he is looking forward for.

“You cannot rule out an Indo-Pak final, which will do a world of good for international cricket,” he said. (ANI)

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India-Pak ‘interim’ agreement on Kashmir was for 15 yrs: Kasuri

April 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Lahore, Apr.28 (ANI): Former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri has revealed that India and Pakistan, through back-channel diplomacy, had evolved an ‘interim’ agreement on the Kashmir issue, and that it was subject to review after 15 years.

Kasuri said that both New Delhi and Islamabad, while working out the agreement, had realised that in view of the long standing dispute over Kashmir, none of the solutions that they evolve would resolve the issue, so the ‘interim’ agreement was the best possible solution available under circumstances at that time.

“We were aware of the fact that there would be an overwhelming support for this agreement; but we also realised that there would be criticism from some sections in Kashmir, Pakistan and India,” Kasuri told The News, on the sidelines of ‘Aman Ki Asha’ – a joint peace initiative by the Jang Group of Pakistan and The Times of India.

He said it was decided that after the implementation of the said agreement, it would be monitored by all concerned parties, so that improvements could be made.

Kasuri claimed that both countries had conducted secret negotiations with all stakeholders because they wanted to avoid any spins or leaks, which could damage the level of trust between the parties.

“They could not have signed an agreement without authorisation from their respective cabinets and parliaments. The whole idea was to produce a draft which the governments of Pakistan and India felt would be acceptable to the large majority of Kashmiris, Pakistanis and Indians,” he added

Referring to allegations from religio-political parties from across the border, that the proposed agreement was an attempt to sell out Kashmir, Kasuri said the basis of the agreement was the assumption that India and Pakistan had tried everything in their power to enforce their own versions of settlement on Kashmir issue.

“They have fought five wars, including two minor ones in the Rann of Katch and Kargil. There have been various mobilisations of troops, including the largest one since First World War (Operation Parakram), in which one million soldiers remained eyeball-to-eyeball for almost a year,” he added.

Kasuri also noted that since both the neighbouring countries have acquired nuclear power, a full-scale war between them is nearly impossible.

Backing Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s statement that efforts were being made through the back-channel diplomacy to resolve all outstanding issues with India, the former foreign minister said it was important that negotiations be resumed because Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s government with which Islamabad negotiated the arrangement was still in power.

“And the BJP the other majority party had started the process during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee,” he added. (ANI)

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Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik has reiterated that the US drone attacks in the lawless tribal areas along the Afghanistan border are being carried out without Islamabad’s consent and the issue would be raised with Washington during bilateral discussions.

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Mar.26 (ANI): Rejecting India’s concerns over the strategic dialogue between Pakistan and the United States, the Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) has said that New Delhi should not have any problem with Islamabad’s relations with Washington.

Addressing a weekly briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit said: “I think India should not have a problem with dialogue because we (Pakistan) don’t have concerns over US-India relationship.”

“We don’t have problem with US-India relationship, but we do have serious concern over US-India nuclear deal due to its negative impact over neighbouring countries,” he added.

It may be noted that Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna had expressed concerns over Pakistan pushing for a India like civil nuclear deal with the US during their “strategic dialogue”.

“I think, US would always look into the track record of every country with which they are going for certain understanding or signing a treaty. I am sure that US will constantly remember that proliferation of nuclear weapons was because of certain indiscretions of certain countries and more particularly Pakistan and the clandestine activities which they carried on,” Krishna had said.

Describing Krishna’s statement as ‘unfair’, Basit said talks between Pakistan and the US dialogue were very broad and concerning various issues such as energy, water , science and technology and other sectors.

He said the Pakistan government is optimistic about a ‘positive outcome’ of deliberations.

“The dialogue was a positive trend and should continue in the future. Pakistan has also proposed that the US play a mediatory role in resolving the water conflict between Pakistan and India,” The Daily Times quoted Basit, as saying. (ANI)

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Pak ready to help India to bring Mumbai attack perpetrators to justice : Zardari

September 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Sep.17 (ANI): Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has reiterated that Islamabad is ready to cooperate with New Delhi to bring the Mumbai attack perpetrators to justice.

In an interview with a British daily, Zardari said Pakistan would not allow its soil to be used against India.

“Pakistan is ready to cooperate with India to punish the perpetrators of terror attacks in Mumbai. Pakistan has assured that it would not allow its territory to be used against India for any acts of terror,” The Nation quoted Zardari, as saying.

He said resumption of bilateral talks was very important, as only then both countries would be able to counter problems facing the region.

“In our view, the resumption of a sustained engagement and dialogue with India could ally each others’ concerns. Both Pakistan and India need to avoid hostile propaganda and confrontation against each other,” Zardari said.

He said Pakistan’s concerns regarding different issues were genuine and stressed that India should also reciprocate and address those.

“Dialogue is the only way forward; absence of dialogue leads to tension,” Zardari added. (ANI)

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Pak not to follow tit-for-tat policy if India conducts nuclear tests: Qureshi

September 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Sep 10 (ANI): Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that they will not follow a tit-for-tat policy if India tests a nuclear device.

“We will not follow a tit-for-tat policy, but we are fully capable of protecting our national interests,” Qureshi said.

He said Pakistan was ready to cooperate with India on all issues, as it was the only sensible method to resolve differences.

“The only sensible way forward is dialogue and any other method would be suicidal,” the Foreign Minister said.

He also said Pakistan and India should end their differences for the sake of peace and stability in the region.

Qureshi said the people of Kashmir should be included in the talks between Pakistan and India about Pakistan-held Kashmir. He asserted that without involvement of Kashmiris, the talks would be “a non-starter”.

The Daily Times quoted him as saying that the Mumbai terrorist attacks last year had led to the suspension of talks, but hoped that the process would resume, as it was the only way to move forward to address issues.

To another question, he said Pakistan had provided evidence of the involvements of Indian intelligence agencies in Balochistan.

“Yes, the matter of Indian involvement was identified and it was acknowledged by India. We will take it up with New Delhi again but not through the media,” the foreign minister said. (ANI)

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India should not doubt our sincerity in handling Mumbai attacks probe: Pak

September 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Sep 7(ANI): Pakistan on Monday asked India to provide more proof to enable it to carry forward its probe in 26/11 Mumbai terror attack instead of doubting Pakistan’s sincerity.

The latest reaction of the Government of Pakistan has come following Indian Government’s allegation blaming it for deliberately holding up the probe in Mumbai attacks.

“India should not doubt our sincerity in handling this case. Instead of levelling allegations they should provide us with concrete proof so that we could take this case forward in a meaningful way,” said Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit, in an interview to BBC radio.

Basit also said that there was no involvement of the Pakistan Government in the probe, and said that all the decisions are “purely judicial”.

“We want to make it clear to India that this is a purely judicial matter and the governments of Pakistan and India cannot do anything about this,” Basit added.

Basit further said that that the matter was in court so no comments should be voiced over the issue.

“The matter is now in the court and it is incorrect to comment on this,” Basit said. (ANI)

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UN silent on Sir Creek issue after expiry of deadline

September 7, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Karachi, Sep 7 (ANI): The United Nations (UN) is keeping mum on the protracted dispute between Pakistan and India over the ownership of Sir Creek even after the expiry of the deadline May 2009 deadline set by the world body to resolve this issue.

The UN had set the deadline for both the archrival countries to resolve this dispute amicably with a warning that after the expiry of the deadline the disputed area of sea would convert into the international waters.

The UN fixed this deadline in 1982, but after a lapse of 26 years, Pakistan and India have failed to settle this issue as a result of which the fishermen of both the countries are in serious trouble as they are being detained frequently and put into jails in violation of the UN laws while their boats and catch are being impounded.

Chairman Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum Muhammad Ali Shah said that at present about 800 fishermen belonging to Pakistan and India are languishing in jails of the two countries. A majority of them were nabbed from the disputed sea waters of Sir Creek, he added.

The United Nations law does not allow the arrest of fishermen and seizing of their boats, Shah said, adding that both the countries are violating the UN laws and adding insult to the fishermen miseries, who belong to the most poor segment of the society.

Why Maritime Securities of Pakistan and India were capturing fishermen from Sir Creek now when the disputed part of the sea has now become the part of International Waters from May 2009, after the expiry of the deadline given by the UN, Shah argued.

He pointed out that some of the Pakistani fishermen were languishing in the Indian jails for many months although they have completed their tenure, The Nation reported.

Both Pakistan and India share the water and the resources of the Arabian Sea. Pakistan has its coastline of 1050 km while the India has a longer coastline of 7417 km. Due to dispute over the ownership of Sir Creek, no permanent and visible demarcation of sea has been made by the two countries, Shah said.

Since its inception in 1998, the PFF is struggling against such arrests of the fishermen of both countries. (ANI)

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Pak wants relationship with India on ‘equal footing’: Gilani

September 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Karachi, Sep.6 (ANI): Stressing the need for resumption of bilateral talks with India, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said Islamabad wants relations with New Delhi on an equal footing.

“We want relations with India on an equal basis and it is our resolve that we will not allow our soil to be used for terrorism. Therefore, we want a proper dialogue to be resumed as in the present situation, the terrorists are getting benefit of the situation,” Gilani said.

Interacting with media persons at the Governor’s House here, Gilani said tensions between India and Pakistan would benefit the militants, so it was important for both countries to restart the peace process as soon as possible.

“We want relations with India on the basis of equality. If Pakistan and India do not enter into negotiations for the betterment of the region, then someone else would get the benefit. If there will not be bilateral talks, the terrorists will take advantage of it,” The News quoted Gilani, as saying.

Commenting on the massive reshuffle in the bureaucracy, Gilani defended his action saying it was important to ensure efficiency, integrity and quality in the system.

Gilani has revamped the top bureaucratic posts, replacing over a dozen federal secretaries in several ministries with over 50 civil servants.

In what is being touted as the single largest grade-22 promotion in many years, secretaries of interior, information, industries, privatisation commission, labour, and special secretary of finance are among those who have been replaced with the newly promoted officers.

However, the move has being criticized by many civil servants, as they believe the reshuffle reeks of nepotism and favouritism. (ANI)

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Musharraf accepted India’s view on terrorism emanating from Pakistan

July 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Lahore, July 6 (ANI): India’s insistence that Pakistan deal with anti-India elements emanating from its soil was the reason behind the failure of the Agra Summit, which was later accepted by then President Pervez Musharraf, according to senior journalist Najam Sethi.

Speaking on the ‘Najam Sethi Special’ programme on the Dunya News channel, Sethi contended that India had accepted Kashmir as the major bone of contention between the two countries at the Agra Summit.

He added that India also wanted the inclusion of a mention of Pakistan-based terrorists in the joint declaration, which was to be made at the end of the summit.

Sethi said Musharraf did not accept that and consequently left Agra without a final declaration.

Sethi said that Musharraf had later accepted terrorism as a major issue between Pakistan and India and expressed a commitment in 2002 that “Pakistan would not export terrorism.” (ANI)

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Partition of India weakened Muslims: MQM

June 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Lahore, June 29 (ANI): MQM chief Altaf Hussain has said the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 weakened Muslims, as it divided their power.

In an interview with Najam Sethi on Dunya News, Altaf said the partition harmed the Muslims, as a result of the formation of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and divided their power into three parts.

He said there would have been no partition had the Congress accepted the Quaid-e-Azam’s 14 points.

Altaf said few people knew that even Allama Iqbal had not demanded the establishment of Pakistan in his famous Allahabad address in 1930.

“He had in fact demanded the creation of Muslim states in the Muslim majority areas,” he said, adding that Iqbal son Justice (r) Javed Iqbal could confirm this.

Altaf said that both Pakistan and India should learn a lesson from European countries and normalise their relations.

He said it was unfortunate that the ruling elite of India had always projected Pakistan as a threat to India while the Pakistani ruling elite had always ‘taught’ Pakistani masses that India was a threat to Pakistan.

He said several wars had been fought in Europe, including the First and Second World Wars, yet European countries had learnt a lesson from these wars and forged a unity, manifested in the European Union.

Altaf requested the Indian leadership and Pakistani establishment to follow the European example and work towards improving relations between the two countries. (ANI)

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India-Pak should learn lessons from Europe to normalise ties: MQM

June 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Lahore, June 29 (ANI): Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has said that both Pakistan and India should learn a lesson from European countries and normalise their relations.

In an interview with Najam Sethi, Altaf said it was unfortunate that the ruling elite of India had always projected Pakistan as a threat to India while the Pakistani ruling elite had always ‘taught’ Pakistani masses that India was a threat to Pakistan.

He said several wars had been fought in Europe, including the First and Second World Wars, yet European countries had learnt a lesson from these wars and forged a unity, manifested in the European Union.

Altaf requested the Indian leadership and Pakistani establishment to follow the European example and work towards improving relations between the two countries.

He said both India and Pakistan were a ‘reality’ and should accept each other with open hearts.

The Daily Times quoted Altaf as saying that both countries were poor and could not afford confrontation. (ANI)

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Pak ‘seriously’ wants to resume peace talks with India : FO

June 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, June 19 (ANI): Pakistan has said that it ‘seriously’ wants to resume the stalled peace process with India, to resolve the long pending issues, including that of Kashmir.

Addressing a weekly briefing, Foreign Office spokesman, Abdul Basit, said Islamabad wanted a result-oriented dialogue with New Delhi to resolve all outstanding issues between the two neighbours.

“Pakistan is a responsible country and seriously wants to resume the dialogue process with India to resolve the disputes between the two countries through negotiations,” The Daily Times quoted Basit, as saying.

Referring to the meeting of President Asif Ali Zardari with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in Yekaterinburg in Russia on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Basit said the meeting was successful, as the two leaders agreed to resume the secretary level talks.

“The SCO summit provided a great opportunity for Pakistan and India to break the ice and both the countries have agreed to resume the dialogue process at the secretary level,” he said.

Basit said both the leaders also reached a consensus to meet again later at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit scheduled to be held at Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.

However, to avoid further embarrassment after Dr. Singh’s tough talks during the Yekaterinburg meeting, Zardari, apparently has decided to skip the NAM summit to be held in July.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani would represent Pakistan in the summit.(ANI)

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India condemns Lahore blast; reminds Pakistan about Mumbai justice (Lead)

May 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) India Wednesday “unequivocally” condemned the bomb blast in Lahore but also made it clear that the ball was in Pakistan’s court to punish the perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage if it wanted to resume composite dialogue with New Delhi.

“I feel sorry that an incident has taken place in Lahore… We condemn this attack in Lahore,” External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told reporters here.

“My heart goes out to the people and the families in Lahore … who have lost their lives,” he said.

“We hope Pakistan and India can join hands to fight this spectre of terror,” Krishna said, adding that India is monitoring the situation arising out of the attack.

“I believe there are many casualties. We condemn this attack in Lahore unequivocally… in fact we condemn all terror attacks worldwide,” Krishna told CNN-IBN in an interview.

A car bomb exploded near a police headquarters in the Pakistani city of Lahore early Wednesday, killing at least 23 people and wounding over 100.

The Pakistan government said the blast was in revenge for a military offensive against the Taliban in the Swat Valley in the northwest region.

Alluding to Pakistan’s calls for resuming composite dialogue that has been stalled after the Nov 26, 2008 Mumbai attacks, Krishna said the ball was “in Pakistan’s court” to “set them (bilateral ties) right” by bringing the perpetrators of the carnage to justice.

“We as a country would like to be at peace with Pakistan; 26/11 happened at a time when the composite dialogue between India and Pakistan was moving in a particular direction and we were pleased with the development,” Krishna told the news channel.

“And then suddenly this heinous crime on India was perpetrated,” he added.

Criticising Pakistan’s initial denial about the nationality of the attackers of Mumbai, Krishna underlined that “it will become extremely difficult for India to continue the composite dialogue unless Pakistan brings all those perpetrators of that crime to book.”

In his first comments after being named external affairs minister Saturday, Krishna had reminded Pakistan about honouring its pledge to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism if it wanted to resume dialogue with India.

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India condemns Lahore blast

May 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) India Wednesday condemned the blast in Lahore that killed over 20 people and hoped Pakistan can join hands in fighting “the spectre of terror”.

“I feel sorry that an incident has taken place in Lahore… We condemn this attack in Lahore,” External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told reporters here.

“My heart goes out to the people and the families in Lahore … who have lost their lives,” he said.

“We hope Pakistan and India can join hands to fight this spectre of terror,” Krishna said, adding that India is monitoring the situation arising out of the attack.

A car bomb exploded near a police headquarters in Lahore early Wednesday, killing at least 23 people and wounding over 100.

The Pakistan government said the blast was in revenge for a military offensive against the Taliban in the Swat Valley in the northwest region.

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Peace process with India will resume in six months: Kasuri

May 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Lahore, May 25 (ANI): Former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri has said he is “50 to 60 percent sure” that the peace process between India and Pakistan will resume in six months.

In an interview with Najam Sethi on Dunya News, Kasuri said he had played a vital role in improving ties between Pakistan and India.

“[Former secretary] Riaz Khan and I were involved through back channel in dialogue between the two countries,” the Daily Times quoted Kasuri, as saying.

Both countries had agreed on how to define Kashmir units on both sides, the demilitarisation of borders, and formation of a mechanism that included Pakistan, India and Kashmiris, Kasuri added.

“All Kashmiri leadership was with us on this issue, except Syed Ali Gilani,” he said.

Kasuri said the dialogue stopped in 2006 because of elections in five states of India, and because of the judiciary issue in Pakistan. (ANI)

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US hoping for positive shift in Indo-Pak relations

May 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 23 (ANI): The United States wants both India and Pakistan to break the ice in their relationship, as it considers that cordial relations between both the countries is the key to establish peace and stability in the sub-continent.

Addressing a regular press briefing here, White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs, while referring to the reports about India and Pakistan sharing intelligence inputs with each other, said the step marks a positive shift in the otherwise hostile relationship between the two neighboring countries.

“Obviously, we have seen reports recently of, without getting into any details, of intelligence sharing, which I think, denotes important cooperation that we think is needed on both sides in order to ensure peace and stability in the region,” The Nation quoted Gibbs, as saying.

The report about ‘intelligence sharing’ between India and Pakistan, to which Gibbs referred, was carried out by the Wall Street Journal recently.

According to the report, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) arranged for Pakistan and India to share information on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the outlawed group accused of carrying out the Mumbai 26/11 attacks.

The arrangement would also see Islamabad sharing information about the top Taliban commanders who are leading the insurgency inside Pakistan.

Washington is hoping that when New Delhi sees the intelligence and evidence that Islamabad is seriously fighting against the militants, it will ease the deployment of troops against Pakistan, which would prompt Pakistan to focus more on its internal threat rather than India.

“We have to satisfy the Mumbai question, and show India that the threat is abating,” the newspaper quoted an official involved in developing US’ South Asia strategy, as saying.

“We’re not going to tell them everything we know and they’re not going to tell us everything they know. Nobody expects that to happen, but we’re talking about the attack. We weren’t doing that in December,” he added.

The Obama administration has expressed its concerns over LeT’s plans to carry out a second strike against India to ignite a war between the two neighboring countries.

Earlier, the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also expressed hope that Islamabad and New Delhi would resume their dialogue soon to reduce tension in the region. (ANI)

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Canada denies lifting arms sales ban on Pakistan

May 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Ottawa (Canada), May 22(ANI): Canada has made it clear that it has no intention of lifting a ban imposed on arms sales to Pakistan.

The Country’s Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon’s communications director, Catherine Loubier, ruled out any possibility of Ottawa discontinuing the arms sale ban which was imposed on Islamabad after it conducted its first nuclear test in 1998.

“Canada’s policy regarding military exports to Pakistan remains unchanged,” The Globe and Mail quoted Loubier, as saying.

Loubier downed the speculations about Canada discontinuing the ban which particularly gained momentum after Defence Minister Peter MacKay’s statement that the Harper administration is mulling lifting the ban.

“Was it considered? No. There are no plans to lift restrictions on the arms sales ban with Pakistan,” She said.

Loubier’s statement are in complete contrast with MacKay’s assertions that he made following his meeting with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and other top officials in Islamabad earlier this week.

“We’re contemplating that (to end the 11-year-old ban),” MacKay has said then.

Pakistan considers the ban discriminatory, as Canada had instituted bans on both Pakistan and India in 1998, but lifted the one on arms sales to India in 2003. (ANI)

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