India to raise 'terror export' with Pakistan

India would raise its concerns over cross-border terrorism with Pakistan at the upcoming ministerial talks here, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh said yesterday.

"Cross-border terrorism has not stopped. There was a decline for some time, but not at the moment. It's a concern that we will raise with my Pakistani counterpart," Singh told a news channel ahead of his talks with Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri.

Describing the talks on September 5 and 6 as a process, he hoped the two sides would ensure that the dialogue was uninterrupted, free and fair and the ministers would announce the next date of their meeting.

"Do not expect a spectacular breakthrough or a dramatic breakdown. We are ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan on a sustained basis, including Kashmir. This is the most sustained engagement between the two countries since the dialogue between Swaran Singh and Zulfiqar Bhutto in 1972-73," he said.

Asked about Pakistan's insistence on a Kashmir-centric dialogue, he said "mindsets are changing. I do not think the Pakistanis are insistent on only Kashmir as the core issue to be discussed. I think both sides want forward movement on a range of issues, including Kashmir as part of a composite dialogue."

About the Pakistani foreign minister wishing to meet Hurriyat Conference leaders during his visit, Singh said "we are not stopping anyone from meeting anyone. But I must also point out that 44 per cent voted in a free and fair Kashmir election. The elected representatives also represent the people of Kashmir".

Singh, who is meeting leaders of Opposition and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) constituents ahead of the talks, said "we want a broad-based consensus in our foreign policy, and take everyone along with us".

Kasuri would meet Petroleum Minister MS Aiyar during which the proposed Iran-India gas pipeline through Pakistan will be taken up, Singh said adding "Aiyar and Kasuri are old friends, and we expect progress in the talks on the pipeline".

Asked whether the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service would be clinched during the talks, he said "we are keen that the bus service start. There are certain technical issues that need to be sorted out. But we want to speed up road and rail links between the two countries".

On the process of re-establishing consulates in Karachi and Mumbai, he said a Pakistani team was likely to visit Mumbai shortly to look for the right place. The consulates should be in place in both cities very soon, he said.

Singh described as "totally misplaced" perception that the UPA government was not focused on foreign policy.

Ahead of the crucial foreign ministers meeting, India on Thursday said it was prepared to make the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir "softer" to enhance people-to-people contacts but would convey "strongly" to Pakistan its concerns over recent increase in infiltration and violence in Kashmir.

"We are prepared to make LoC a softer line," official sources said adding New Delhi looked forward to "realistic progress" in the composite dialogue process during the meeting of ministers.

Foreign secretaries Shyam Saran and Riaz Khokhar will meet a day earlier to review the progress on discussions held on the eight issues of the composite dialogue including Kashmir and peace and security. Khokhar is arriving here tomorrow.

Keen to promote people-to-people contacts, New Selhi feels that the LoC instead of being a "dividing" line, should be one that can act as a bridge among the people of the two countries.

Sources said while there was some decline in infiltration in the earlier part of the year, there had been a "perceptible increase" in its level in June and July and during this period the incidents of terrorist violence in Kashmir had gone up.

"We will take this up strongly with Pakistan during the current talks," sources said.