India trip: Malik claims bridging trust deficit, re-invites Singh
Amidst a general sense of ‘disappointment’ amongst Indian officials regarding his ‘loose’ statements, Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Saturday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and extended an invitation to the Indian premier to visit Pakistan.
During the meeting, issues relating to voice samples of those involved in the Mumbai attack and punishments for those imprisoned for the attack were discussed.
Malik also reminded Singh of the long-standing invitation to visit Pakistan and said people in Manmohan Singh’s native Chakwal district were eager to meet him. The interior minister said his compatriots would be extremely disappointed if Singh decided not to visit Pakistan, a Press Trust of India report states. “If he does not come, people will be disappointed,” the interior minister said.
Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office described the meeting as “a courtesy call” and said it was very short. They said the Indian premier thanked Malik for extending him the invitation on behalf of President Asif Ali Zardari.
Malik, who met Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Friday and National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon on Saturday, said he had good meetings with both the Indian leaders.
“Overall, very good meetings, very effective message...Whatever trust deficit was there, it was removed,” he said.
‘Disappointment’
However, Indian government officials informally told reporters that they were disappointed that Malik chose to speak so loosely on matters which were sensitive in India. A day earlier, the interior minister compared the demolition of Babri Masjid to the Mumbai attacks.
“We had achieved some progress on several fronts. These incidents just indicate how insincere the Pakistan establishment is about our concerns,” an official told The Express Tribune.
Explaining comments
Meanwhile, in an interview with NDTV, the interior minister denied his comment that the demolition of the Babri Masjid for Pakistan was similar to the Mumbai attacks.
“When I mentioned Babri Masjid, I was talking about inter-faith harmony in our region,” Malik said.
The interior minister flew to New Delhi on Friday for a three-day visit to seal an agreement to ease tough visa restrictions for travellers and to hold security talks with his Indian counterpart Sushilkumar Shinde.
Malik renounced almost all his earlier statements, and said that he never meant to sound the way he was quoted.
On Friday Malik said: “We do not want 9/11, Bombay blast, Samjhauta blast or Babri Masjid. Let us forget the past and move ahead.” To this Indian Home Minister S K Shinde shot back, “I am happy that you assure us that you will do everything to bring the masterminds of 26/11 to justice, but Pakistan has failed to deliver.”
Captain Kalia
Furthermore, the interior minister said that he was ready to order a probe into Captain Saurabh Kalia’s death. Captain Kalia’s mutilated body was returned to Indian authorities along with those of five others who had been captured by Pakistan during the Kargil war.
Captain Kalia’s father, N K Kalia, demanded his son’s case to be taken up by the International Court of Justice at The Hague. Based on his petition, the Supreme Court has given the Indian government ten weeks to respond to Kalia’s request.
Earlier, the interior minister told reporters that Captain Kalia might have died because of adverse weather conditions. However, the state of Kalia’s body may have suggested otherwise. When the Indian authorities received his body, they alleged that it had been tortured.
“The circumstances [behind Kalia’s] death are disputed, I am asking for more information,” Malik told NDTV. “I feel Captain Kalia’s father’s pain and I will definitely look into the matter.”
Indian investigators’ visit
Indian investigators probing the 26/11 attack are likely to visit Pakistan in mid-January while a Pakistani judicial panel could visit India next week, The Hindustan Times reported.
“Whatever trust deficit was there, it was removed,” Malik said. “Let the director general of FIA (Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency) and NIA sit together and resolve issues,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2012.
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@asif: "Once the tensions are reduced we can refocus to our core interests – deeper integration with iran and afghanistan."
What about your all weather friend China and your spiritual friend Saudi Arabia? Then you can really be the big brother. You are missing out a lot here.
@asif: ".... Indian acting all hurt and coy – this is intrinsic to them."
This is not the truth.
India does not care to bother about Pakistan.
And someone please tell Mr. Rehman, the issue is trust deficit NOT trade deficit.
Has EVER a word of truth escaped the mouth of Mr.Malik? I don't think so. People of his stature (or the lack of it) are not welcome anywhere.
Mr Rehman Malik represents a country that is rooted in deception and fraud towards India. What else do you expect ?
What is wrong with Pakistan? Conversions by rape, Discrimination by Constitution, hate Curriculum in schools,,Convenient cover by Court all supported by majority of Civilian population and its media. Maya Khan's live conversion Ramzan special was to boost the TV ratings as these acts are supported by most muslims of Pakistan.
Destruction of Temples, desecration of graves, smashing slabs that have Koranic Verses, Muslim cleric tearing off Koran and burning it to falsely implicate Christians........ these happen repeatedly on a daily basis. Courts have never convicted even one muslim who have committed such acts and even admitted to committing such acts whereas, non-muslims who are falsely accused rot in jails. Yet, Pakistan talks about Babri Masjid. Destruction of temples is glorified and a compulsory learning in schools. "Somnath Ki Fateh" that glorifies destruction, looting and desecration by muslims of a sacred hindu temple that is considered by hindus as sacred as Mecca is for muslims is taught in class 9 is just one of thousands of examples. International organizations have documented that such hate teachings in schools have only gone up recently and keeps going up.
I thought the Indian netas are the most incompetent but I had to change my opinion after seeing Malik in action. After not even loosing one opportunity to toss insults at his host, he claims that he has bridged the trust deficit. It's very clear that Pakistan wound have gained more trust by sending someone more competent than Mallik who to many Indians sounded like the PPP version of Zaid Hamid. Or maybe by not sending anyone at all!
@Kamaran: " ... PPP govt try hard to arrange Indain PM visit but all attempts fails. Why Indian PM hesitate to accept the visit request of Pak??? ... "
Why is the Indian PM's visit so important ? How does it even matter ?
"Interfaith harmony" Sez Mr. Malik!!!
Does he mean the harmony achieved in his own country by decimating its Hindu & Sikh minorities, driving Ahamadiyas to desperation, incarcerating christians with false blasphemy cases and razing temples and other religious places??
The young and inexperienced Pak FM conducted herself better during her first visit to India than the experienced and seasoned IM whose irrelevant and insensitive utterances has disappointed New Delhi to a large extent thus making his visit unfruitful.
Pakistan must act on reducing the hostilities despite Indian acting all hurt and coy - this is intrinsic to them. In other words we must act like their big brother. Once the tensions are reduced we can refocus to our core interests - deeper integration with iran and afghanistan.
@Kamaran: last time when Indian PM visited Pak,Pak Military backstabbed by going for Kargil adventure in one week
"very good meetings, very effective message" "good feelings" "personal invitations" "visiting the birth places in Chakwal" "good sentiments" and ... are not the "REAL POLITICS".
They are simply "IRRATIONAL ACTS"
Breaking now PMO, India to Rehman Malik - "Act on 26/11 if you are serious in inviting the PM".
"“Overall, very good meetings, very effective message…Whatever trust deficit was there, it was removed,” he said. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ And also the Load shedding in Pakistan is over.
“When I mentioned Babri Masjid, I was talking about inter-faith harmony in our region,” Malik said. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Was inter faith harmony any part of the Interior Ministers agenda? Did he talk about Lal Masjid? And any attempt to discuss 'our region 'is futile ...no compariosn between Pakistan and India! Mr Malik do you get it?