Pak to inform India on Mumbai attacks' probe at key talks

Islamabad, Mar 26 (PTI) Pakistan will inform India
about progress made in its investigation into the 2008 Mumbai
attacks during the upcoming meeting of the Home and Interior
Secretaries of the two countries, a Pakistani government
official said Saturday.
"We have made a lot of progress that we would be
talking about with our Indian counterparts. That is very
satisfying progress that we will be conveying to them," the
official, who did not want to be identified, said during a
briefing.
The official did not give details about the progress
or any new information uncovered by Pakistani investigators.
Authorities have charged seven suspects, including
Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, with
involvement in the Mumbai incident but their trial by an
anti-terrorism court has been hit by delays due to technical
reasons.
He said talks would also be held on Pakistan’s request
to send a judicial commission to India to interview key
persons linked to the Mumbai attacks.
The official – who briefed the Diplomatic
Correspondents Association of Pakistan ahead of the meeting of
the Home and Interior Secretaries in New Delhi during March
28-29 – said "all stakeholders" in the Pakistani establishment
had been taken on board for the crucial parleys.
Pakistan is "greatly delighted and satisfied" that the
peace process with India has been resumed after being stalled
for over two years, the official said.
"This in itself is a very positive development. Both
India and Pakistan getting back to talk is a spirit that we
wish to continue with," he said.
Asked about India’s concerns regarding Pakistan-based
groups like the LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawah, the official said:
"We would like to know their concerns and to meet their
concerns. We have already looked into their apprehensions."
At the same time, the official made it clear that
Pakistan would not shy away from raising its concerns,
including allegations that India was fomenting unrest in
Balochistan province and the tribal areas.
"Without going into specifics, we have agreed through
over diplomatic exchanges that all issues would be discussed
in on open manner. That is going to be the basis of our
engagement," the official said.
Pakistan would like to point out "all actors who have
been involved in acts of terrorism" so that they could be
"eliminated from the spectrum of our relations", the official
added.
The official identified the four key topics for the
meeting in New Delhi next week as terrorism-related issues,
including the Mumbai attacks and the bombing of the Samjhauta
Express train, humanitarian issues involving civilian and
fishermen prisoners, visa issues and counter-narcotics
measures.
On the issue of visas, the official said there would
be detailed discussions on how to ease the visa policy.
The meeting of the Home and Interior Secretaries will
mark the formal resumption of what the two countries are
describing as the "full spectrum of dialogue".