India has told Pakistan that the proposed talks with it will focus on terrorism and other issues "hurting" bilateral relations and has given no indication about the full-fledged resumption of the stalled composite dialogue process.
When Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao telephoned her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir about a week ago to propose foreign secretary-level talks, she made it clear the parleys would focus on terrorism and other issues that are "hurting relations between the two countries," official sources in the foreign office said.
Rao said India would even be willing to discuss differences on the sharing of river waters, they said. The waters issue has emerged as a major irritant between the two sides in the past few years, with Islamabad accusing New Delhi of choking the flow of rivers. India has denied the charge.
However, the sources said Rao gave no indication during the conversation about the full-fledged resumption of the composite dialogue, which was put on hold by New Delhi in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
The sources characterised Rao's stance as a "conscious effort" to not even refer to the composite dialogue process. Following the contact between the two Foreign Secretaries, Islamabad asked its High Commissioner to New Delhi, Shahid Malik, to meet Rao to seek clarifications on the content and agenda for the proposed talks.
Malik was also asked to gauge the "mood of the Indian government" and the reason for New Delhi's decision to resume talks with Islamabad, the sources said.
Malik met Rao last evening to discuss the dates and agenda for the proposed Foreign Secretary-level talks.
Rao had invited Bashir to New Delhi for talks and proposed two set of dates this month.
"We discussed the possible agenda and the dates for the meeting. We have to find a mutually convenient time and date," Malik told reporters after his hour-long meeting with Rao.
India suspended the composite dialogue in November 2008 following the Mumbai attacks, which Pakistan has acknowledged were planned and carried out by operatives of the Lashker-e-Toiba.
Since then, India had linked the resumption of the peace process to Pakistan taking action against perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks based on its soil.
The official sources contended there had been a change in India's attitude because of a "significant change" in the regional situation following the London conference on Afghanistan, during which Western powers unveiled a plan to hold talks with and reconcile with moderate elements of the Afghan Taliban.
The sources claimed the role expected to be played in this process by Pakistan could have influenced the Indian government's decision to resume talks.
