14 July 2010
Minister of external affairs SM Krishna began his Pakistan visit Wednesday by reminding his hosts that justice must not only be done to India's core concern of terrorism but must be seen to be done. He indicated that there was enough evidence to link Pakistan to the Mumbai terrorist attacks, a charge repeated on the eve of the ministers visit by Home secretary GK Pillai, who said that Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), had controlled and coordinated the attacks from the beginning till the end.
[I] look forward to receiving feedback on the issues raised by our Home Minister [P Chidambaram] during his visit to Pakistan last month on our core concern of terrorism, particularly in the light of the discussions our Home Minister had in Pakistan in the context of the interrogation of David Coleman Headley, Mr Krishna said in Islamabad as he embarked on what was described as a new journey to foster better ties with Pakistan.
This is an important visit as it marks the beginning of a new journey in our efforts to build a peaceful, friendly and cooperative relationship between our two countries, Mr Krishna said in a brief statement. I am carrying with me a message of peace and friendship from the people of India and we hope to undertake this voyage of peace, however long and arduous, jointly with the government and people of Pakistan, he added.
The minister called for prompt and decisive action on the part of the Pakistan government to address Indias concerns about terrorism in general and, in particular, the delay in the prosecution of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six others who are being tried in a Pakistani court on charges of planning and facilitating the Mumbai attacks. The court has asked the Pakistan government to respond to Lakhvis bail plea by Saturday when the matter will come up for hearing again.
New Delhi has laid down some markers for taking the bilateral engagement to a higher level and it has urged Islamabad to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism operating from its soil, bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice, and to take appropriate action against individuals such as Hafiz Saeed who spew vitriol against India and threaten to hold the bilateral ties to ransom. According to reports in a section of the Pakistani media, Hafiz Saeed has heightened the rhetoric by raising the issue of Kashmir and sharing of river waters.
Home secretary GK Pillai set the tone for the foreign ministers talks in Islamabad when he reiterated New Delhis stand that the ISI was behind the Mumbai attacks. It was not just a peripheral role. They (the agency) were literally controlling and coordinating it from the beginning till the end, Mr Pillai said. He sought to suggest that New Delhi had come upon new information about the ISIs role from Headleys interrogation in the US. He also said that Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed was equally guilty of orchestrating the attacks.
On Thursday, Mr Krishna will hold delegation-level talks with his Pakistan counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi. We hope to discuss all issues of mutual interest and concern that can contribute to restoring trust and building confidence in our bilateral relationship, Mr Krishna said. He will call on President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani later in the day. Mr Krishnas is the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks.
[I] look forward to receiving feedback on the issues raised by our Home Minister [P Chidambaram] during his visit to Pakistan last month on our core concern of terrorism, particularly in the light of the discussions our Home Minister had in Pakistan in the context of the interrogation of David Coleman Headley, Mr Krishna said in Islamabad as he embarked on what was described as a new journey to foster better ties with Pakistan.
This is an important visit as it marks the beginning of a new journey in our efforts to build a peaceful, friendly and cooperative relationship between our two countries, Mr Krishna said in a brief statement. I am carrying with me a message of peace and friendship from the people of India and we hope to undertake this voyage of peace, however long and arduous, jointly with the government and people of Pakistan, he added.
The minister called for prompt and decisive action on the part of the Pakistan government to address Indias concerns about terrorism in general and, in particular, the delay in the prosecution of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six others who are being tried in a Pakistani court on charges of planning and facilitating the Mumbai attacks. The court has asked the Pakistan government to respond to Lakhvis bail plea by Saturday when the matter will come up for hearing again.
New Delhi has laid down some markers for taking the bilateral engagement to a higher level and it has urged Islamabad to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism operating from its soil, bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice, and to take appropriate action against individuals such as Hafiz Saeed who spew vitriol against India and threaten to hold the bilateral ties to ransom. According to reports in a section of the Pakistani media, Hafiz Saeed has heightened the rhetoric by raising the issue of Kashmir and sharing of river waters.
Home secretary GK Pillai set the tone for the foreign ministers talks in Islamabad when he reiterated New Delhis stand that the ISI was behind the Mumbai attacks. It was not just a peripheral role. They (the agency) were literally controlling and coordinating it from the beginning till the end, Mr Pillai said. He sought to suggest that New Delhi had come upon new information about the ISIs role from Headleys interrogation in the US. He also said that Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed was equally guilty of orchestrating the attacks.
On Thursday, Mr Krishna will hold delegation-level talks with his Pakistan counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi. We hope to discuss all issues of mutual interest and concern that can contribute to restoring trust and building confidence in our bilateral relationship, Mr Krishna said. He will call on President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani later in the day. Mr Krishnas is the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks.
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