The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Saturday categorically said that he would be in a position to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif only after Islamabad addresses New Delhi's concerns on 'unacceptable' incidents that have taken place in the recent past.
"I have always maintained that we can choose our friends, but we have no choice with regard to our neighbours. And, therefore, under normal conditions, I would be happy to meet with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whom I respect, who has said the right things about how relations between our two countries should evolve. But, there are certain harsh realities on the ground," said Dr. Singh when asked that the possibility of a meeting between him and his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York has been a matter of intense speculation.
"If the terror acts do not stop; if those who voice terrorist thoughts move about freely; if there is no significant progress in bringing the culprits of the Mumbai massacre to book; - that I have to factor in before arriving at a final decision," he added, while returning home from the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will meet his Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz in Kyrgyzstan on September 13 during which they are likely to discuss the possibility of a meeting between their respective Prime Ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to be held later this month.
Khurshid had earlier this month said that a decision on possible talks between Dr. Singh and Sharif will be taken after assessing steps Pakistan takes to address India's concerns.
"We are keeping quiet on this and watching. I realise that the time is coming for the New York visit. So, obviously a call will be taken by the Prime Minister at an appropriate stage. But we will not hasten it, as we do not want to jump the gun," Khurshid said.
"I think when some major significant thing goes wrong, many things still remain right but you cannot neglect the major thing that has gone wrong. Decision has to be in the interest of the nation," he added.
While India has appreciated Sharif's regret for the 'loss of precious lives' in the August 6 LoC ceasefire violation, which saw five Indian soldiers dead, New Delhi has insisted that Islamabad must take responsibility for the incident as the ambush would not have been possible without help from Pakistani agencies.
Indian defence analysts have, however, said that Dr. Singh should not hold any talks with his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York till the Pakistani Prime Minister ensures that Pakistan soil is not used for terrorist activities in India.
