India asks Pak to help fight terrorism

Pranab to visit Islamabad.

Providing evidence with regard to Pakistani linkages to terror acts here, India today asked Islamabad to cooperate in fighting terrorism as the two countries resumed their composite dialogue after a four-month lull.

At the conclusion of the first day of two-day foreign secretary-level talks, the two countries were close to an agreement on nuclear risk reduction as part of non-conventional confidence-building measures (CBMs). It was decided that the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will visit Islamabad on December 16 and 17.

Formation of the joint anti-terror mechanism is expected to be announced tomorrow at the conclusion of talks between Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Mohammad Khan.

The meeting also discussed Jammu and Kashmir and conventional CBMs like cross-LoC people-to-people contacts. Siachen was discussed informally by the two foreign secretaries at dinner last night and today. Formal deliberations on it along with that on Sir Creek will be held tomorrow.

"Considerable time was spent on terrorism in the context of Havana declaration," External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters here, refusing to give details.

Sources, however, said India gave evidence with regard to Pakistani linkages to terrorism in this country, including in the July 11 Mumbai blasts.

New Delhi had earlier said that it would table evidence with regard to terror acts to "put Pakistan to test".

Khan called on External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee who underlined the "need to fight terrorism together", Sarna said. Mukherjee gave Khan his viewpoint on why it is "important for both sides to fight the menace of terrorism jointly," the spokesman said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf met at Havana in September in the aftermath of the Mumbai blasts and agreed that terrorism is a scourge that needs to be dealt with. They decided to put in place an anti-terrorism institutional mechanism to identify and implement counter-terrorism initiatives and investigations.

At the talks between the foreign secretaries, the two sides reached an understanding on setting up a mechanism for release of each other's nationals imprisoned for minor offences. Among the civilian CBMs discussed were the launch of truck service on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route and start of bus service between Kargil and Skardu in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Cross-LoC CBMs, which have been implemented partially, besides economic and commercial linkages were also deliberated upon at the day-long meeting.

Mukherjee, during his meeting with Khan, welcomed resumption of composite dialogue and underlined the need to address all issues as part of this process. There are eight issues being discussed under the composite dialogue which include Jammu and Kashmir, terrorism, Siachen and Sir Creek.

The external affairs minister referred to "some of the achievements of the dialogue process that have borne fruit like very positive change in the atmosphere in the relationship between the two countries," Sarna said.

He said the change was very much evident in the aftermath of last year's quake when India and Pakistan collaborated in rehabilitation work across the LoC.

Mukherjee also stressed to the delegation the need to take further action so that expectations of people of both countries can be fulfilled, the spokesman said. Sarna said the foreign secretaries held detailed and extensive discussions in a "constructive and positive atmosphere."