New Delhi, June 20
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna today made it clear that the upcoming foreign secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan would focus on terrorism, notwithstanding Islamabad’s assertion that the two top diplomats would not be discussing the issue of Mumbai attacks.

Talking to mediapersons here before leaving for Myanmar, Krishna said the trust deficit between the two countries needed to be reduced. For this to happen, Pakistan must speed up the trial of the accused in the Mumbai carnage.

He said the confessions made by David Coleman Headley linking Pakistan’s ISI with the Mumbai attacks would also form part of the talks.

This was in sharp contrast to what Islamabad has been saying. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman was recently quoted as saying that the two foreign secretaries would not be discussing the Mumbai attacks.

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is scheduled to meet her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir in Islamabad on June 23-24 to discuss peace and security, including confidence building measures (CBMs), Jammu and Kashmir and promotion of friendly exchanges. They will also review the progress in dialogue process, which was frozen after the Mumbai attacks and reopened in February.

Krishna said the menace of terrorism had to be dealt with firmly and transparently for the common good of India and Pakistan as well as the region and beyond.

Asked whether he was satisfied with the progress made in the trial of Mumbai terror accused in Pakistan, Krishna said while India had completed the trial of the accused in its custody, Pakistan was yet to do that. “It is a sad commentary on what was happening there.”

He said during every interaction with Pakistan, India had been conveying to the neighbour its concern over the slow pace of trial and urging it to bring the culprits of 26/11 to speedy justice. He, however, added that one has to be “patient, realistic and positive”.

“We hope to narrow the trust deficit between our nations and pave the way for normalisation of relations by addressing all outstanding issues and concerns, particularly those pertaining to terrorism,” said the minister.

He said the Foreign Secretary’s visit and discussions would carry forward the dialogue process with Pakistan and a meeting of the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan was also expected by July this year. He pointed out that in the preceding months, meetings of Home Secretaries, Commerce Secretaries, Water Resources Secretaries, Additional Secretary/Surveyor General on Sir Creek and Defence Secretaries on Siachen had already taken place.

Replying to a question on Bombay blasts accused Dawood Ibrahim, who is supposed to be living in Pakistan, Krishna said the underworld don was wanted by India for various crimes he had committedin the country and India had asked for extradition of the criminal. 

Islamabad: Ahead of Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level talks, Pakistan has said that it wants to resolve all outstanding issues with India, including Kashmir, through dialogue as war is not the solution to any problem. "We do not want to resolve any problems through war. The solution of all problems is through dialogue and we believe in dialogue," Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said while addressing a public meeting at Shakargarh in Punjab province.— PTI