ID :
171396
Mon, 03/28/2011 - 21:02
Auther :

India-Pak Home Secy talks 'extremely positive'

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) Resuming the bilateral dialogue
process after a gap of over two years, Home Secretaries of
India and Pakistan on Monday said "progress" has been made on
certain issues and termed the talks as "extremely positive".
"Talks are extremely positive. Progress made in certain
direction, in the right direction," Indian Home Secretary G K
Pillai told reporters at the end of the first day of the
two-day talks with his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhary Qamar
Zaman.
Zaman, who is leading a 12-member delegation, also said
talks were "very positive". "Since, we have another day for
the talks to still follow through, I am not going into the
specifics at the moment".
"But I can tell you with good amount of certainty that
its been a very positive attitude displayed on both sides and
I am really confident about tomorrow's proceedings also," he
said.
He went on to say that there were issues that were yet
to be discussed. "We have issues that still we have to
discuss. It has been generally moving on in a good spirit and
it has been a result-oriented meeting".
Senior Indian officials said the talks were substantive
and "some substantive decisions were taken" but refused to
elaborate.
"All matters of mutual concern were discussed," the
officials said on being asked India had voiced its concern
over the slow pace of trial in Pakistan against the 26/11
accused.
A joint statement will be issued by Tuesday, Pillai
said.
The statement is expected to outline the resolve of the
two countries to combat terrorism and may also come up with
steps to enhance people-to-people contacts, including an
easier and faster visa regime.
Both sides are keen to set a positive tone for the
meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his
Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani in Mohali when the
two leaders witness Wednesday's India-Pakistan World Cup
cricket semi-final clash.
The parleys held at the 'Friendship Lounge' in Ashok
Hotel stretched to over five hours with a working lunch.
Officials of investigative agencies of both the
countries also held separate informal talks.
While the Indian side sought to know the progress in the
26/11 case, the Pakistan delegation raised the issue of 2007
Samjhauta Express blast and wanted to the action taken to nail
the culprits.
Among the 68 casualties in the blast in the train,
which runs between India and Pakistan, the maximum were from
Pakistan.
The talks marked the resumption of high-level discussions
on all issues, more than two years after the composite
dialogue process was suspended in the wake of the November,
2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Incidentally when Mumbai was being attacked by
Lashker-e- Taiba terrorists, the then Indian Home Secretary
Madhukar Gupta was in Islamabad for the last Home Secretary
level talks.
During the deliberations, the Indian side assisted by
officials from security agencies also discussed cross-border
terrorism, smuggling of narcotics and flow of counterfeit
currency.

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