NEW DEHLI/ ISLAMABAD:
India hailed "extremely positive" peace talks with Pakistan on Monday with both countries looking to build on a recent warming in relations brought on by some successful "cricket diplomacy”.
Home secretaries from the two nations met in New Delhi to discuss counter-terrorism, the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the drugs trade in talks that are part of a formal peace process re-starting between the neighbours.
"The talks were extremely positive. Progress was made in the right direction," Home Secretary GK Pillai said after a six-hour meeting at a luxury hotel in the capital.
He promised a joint statement on Tuesday, the second day of the talks between him and his counterpart Qamar Zaman Chaudhry.
Chaudhry, leading a 12-member delegation from Pakistan, also sounded positive. “Since we have another day to still follow through, I am not going into the specifics at the moment.”
“But I can tell you with certainty that it’s been a very positive attitude displayed on both sides, and I am really confident about tomorrow’s proceedings also,” he added.
He said many issues were yet to be discussed. “It has been generally moving in good spirit and it has been a result-oriented meeting.”
Zaman is visiting Agra on March 30, the day when India and Pakistan will play the cricket World Cup semi-final in Mohali.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, who accepted an invitation by his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh to watch the game with him, said his visit to India to watch the World Cup cricket semi-final between the two arch rivals was in the “national interest”.
“It is also a timely opportunity for the two governments to show to the world that the two nations can play together as well as sit and deliberate together on issues of national importance,” he said.
“The entire country has appreciated this gesture of the honorable prime minister of India,” Chaudhry said on Sunday as he travelled to New Delhi.
Discussions between Pillai and Chaudhry were expected to be plagued by tension over the 2008 Mumbai attacks, carried out by extremists.
“It is our resolve that we would like to deter acts of terrorism in all their manifestations,” a senior security official in Islamabad told AFP.
Chaudhry would also discuss the release of prisoners and fishermen held by both countries, and easing visa restrictions, he said.
“We are open to a very frank discussion and all issues are going to be discussed. The talks would not be confined to Mumbai attacks,” the official said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2011.
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