Indo-Pak terror meet in Nov

Two sides to thrash out the issue of sharing intelligence on terrorism.

Intelligence chiefs of India and Pakistan along with their home secretaries will meet in November as part of a joint mechanism to tackle terrorism, according to sources in the government.

The last meetings of intelligence chiefs of the two countries were held between 1988 and 1990 in various foreign countries.

The United States had in 1991 suggested to the PV Narasimha Rao government that chiefs of the ISI and Intelligence Bureau meet. This was in the backdrop of charges by both countries about intelligence agencies sponsoring terrorism on each other's soil. India, however, turned down the proposal.

All covert operations abroad were wound up when IK Gujral became prime minister in 1997, a blow intelligence agencies say they never recovered from.

While India alleges the ISI foments terrorist and communal disturbances in India, Pakistan is now much less vociferous when blaming India for operations on its soil.

Instead, its refrain is that India has never provided credible intelligence and evidence about Pakistan's involvement in terrorist incidents in India. A meeting of the intelligence chiefs may thrash out these issues better.

The issue of sharing intelligence on terrorism would also come up at a meeting of the foreign secretaries of the two countries in November, sources said.

Sources said India was pressing ahead with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's line about rapprochement with Pakistan. At the same time, it would strongly take up the case for ending terrorism.

Asking Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to fulfill his commitment, India said Pakistan should dismantle terror camps on its eastern border just as it is doing on its western border with Afghanistan.

"Musharraf should stick to his commitment that he would not allow Pakistani territory to be used by terrorists," Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters in New York.

On the proposed joint mechanism, he said modalities would be decided through negotiations, but declined to give any time-frame.

Asked if India could trust Pakistan, Mukherjee said, "We cannot change our neighbours. And if you have to live together, it is better we live in peace. Trust begets trust."

Pakistan, too, said the anti-terror mechanism would serve the interests of both countries. "The mechanism would serve the interests of both India and Pakistan," Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said in an interview to BBC Radio.

He said but Pakistan also was a victim of terrorism, adding, "It is in our interest to have cooperation of some other countries including India".

The mechanism was agreed during a recent meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf at Havana on the sidelines of Non-Aligned Movement summit.