Havana, September 17
India said today that the decision to set up an anti-terrorism institutional mechanism had made possible the resumption of dialogue process with Pakistan and that it could take up all issues, including the long-standing demand for extradition of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Hizbul leader Syed
Salahuddin, both residing in that country.
However, New Delhi turned down suggestions that there has been a “shift” in its stance in acknowledging that Pakistan is a victim of terrorism and made it clear that there cannot be a guarantee that all kinds of terrorist acts would come to an end with the setting up of the mechanism.
It also denied that it had blamed Pakistan for the serial blasts in Mumbai and said investigations were still on.
Replying to a volley of questions on the issue of mechanism that will identify and implement counter-terrorism initiatives and investigations, contained in the joint press statement of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf yesterday, Foreign Secretary designate P. Shivshankar Menon told journalists that “this is a new (step). We have not done this before with Pakistan. We have had discussions but not in terms of an institutional mechanism. It is new.
“And that is what has made it possible to resume the dialogue, take the peace process forward and to us this seems to be the way forward with Pakistan. This is new. It’s functions are clear. We have got the mandate”.
— PTI
