The Hindu : Front Page : Composite dialogue: India presses the pause button

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Tuesday, Dec 02, 2008
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Composite dialogue: India presses the pause button

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: The immediate fall-out of the Indian government’s allegation that the Mumbai attacks could be traced back to Pakistan is that New Delhi has pressed the “pause” button on the composite dialogue process, according to official sources.

Officials were to hold a number of meetings in the coming weeks as part of the fifth round of the eight-subject talks.

Sources told The Hindu that for the present, and until the Pakistan government responds to the Indian concerns, these meetings are unlikely to be scheduled.

Among the meetings indefinitely on hold are those between the Defence secretaries on Siachen, the Water secretaries, the Commerce secretaries, and the Culture Secretaries.

The meeting of technical experts on Sir Creek had been postponed a few days before the Mumbai attacks, but it is unlikely to be rescheduled.

The only meetings that have taken place in the fifth round were the July Foreign Secretary talks held under the shadow of the bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul, and between the two Interior Secretaries that ended on November 26, hours before the Mumbai attacks began.

A visit by the Indian Indus Water Commissioner G. Aranganathan took place as scheduled on Sunday – he visited the Marala headworks where the Chenab waters enter Pakistan — but another by a member of the Planning Commission that was to begin on Monday has been put off.

India is also unlikely to entertain any high-level visits from Pakistan, and no such visits are likely from India either, the sources said, unless Islamabad either offers to send officials in connection with the Mumbai investigations, or invites Indian officials over to share some information with any investigation that it starts on its side.

Officials said New Delhi has not yet “handed over” any evidence about the alleged Pakistani link, but Indian officials have briefed Pakistani officials on the information emanating from the interrogation of the one Laskhar-e-Taiba suspect taken into custody during the Mumbai operation.

According to sources, it outlined the Indian position that “elements” within Pakistan were involved in the attacks, and asked the government to take action on the information provided by the Indian investigators.

Pakistan rejects charge

PTI reports:

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir summoned Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal here on Monday to give a “response” to the Indian demarche. Mr. Bashir “refuted the unsubstantiated allegations” of Pakistan’s “complicity in the Mumbai incident,” said a Pakistan Foreign Office statement.

Earlier, Mr. Pal met Mr. Bashir to hand over the Indian demarche on the involvement of Pakistan-based elements in the attacks.

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