NEW DEHLI:
Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna says upcoming talks between the foreign secretaries of Indian and Pakistan will focus on terrorism, Express 24/7 reported on Monday.
Speaking to the media in New Delhi, Krishna said trust deficit between the two countries needed to be reduced. He said that India had asked Pakistan to speed up the trial of those accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Krishna said the issue of Tahawur Rana, who was recently declared not guilty in the Mumbai attacks case, as well as the “extradition of Daud Ibrahim” will be discussed during the meetings.
India’s Foreign Secretary is due to visit Pakistan this week, the first formal talks between the two countries on their core dispute since the Mumbai attacks in 2008 froze their peace process. The talks will be held on June 23 and 24 in Islamabad.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson had earlier stated that the foreign secretaries meeting won’t be allowed to discuss the issue of Mumbai attacks.
“The agenda of the talks will include the issues of peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir and friendly exchanges,” the spokesperson had explained.
The peace process between the two countries was revived in April this year when Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani visited Mohali at the invitation of his Indian counterpart.
Since then the two sides have had talks on Sir Creek, Siachen, trade and commerce and on the Mumbai attacks investigations, but failed to break the ice on any of the problems.
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