Promising the prospect of continuous high-level engagements instead of sporadic one-off meetings, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday held talks on a number of issues, including action against Jama'at-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed. Though Saeed was not the dominant subject, it was mentioned “upfront” by Dr. Singh. Dr. Singh emphasised need to prosecute Saeed, the alleged strategist behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, during the 40-minute one-to-one talks. He said action against all those involved in the terror attacks in India would be a major issue by which people here would judge their ties with Pakistan.
Mr. Zardari referred to the legal issues involved and both leaders agreed that a structured discussion on Saeed could be held during the coming Home Secretary-level talks in Islamabad. They were also hopeful of the meeting easing the onerous curbs on travel that had stifled people-to-people interaction, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai told journalists.
Mr. Zardari had primarily come to pay obeisance at the dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer and accommodated the Delhi leg of his visit following a request from the Indian side.
While India seemed to highlight terror and trade, Mr. Zardari felt both sides needed to resolve the disputes over Kashmir, the Siachen glacier and Sir Creek. But both leaders agreed that they should proceed “step by step” in repairing the ties.
The two leaders covered all aspects of relationship as well as regional and global issues of common interest and noted the positive signs that emerged after the dialogue resumed — peace on the border, fewer incidents of cross-border terror, end to slanging matches at the governmental level and attempts to normalise trade.
They expect interactions between the Commerce Ministers and Secretaries to move ahead with the next identified lot of trade-enhancing measures, including a shorter negative list of imported items from Pakistan.
“We are willing to find practical and pragmatic solutions to all our issues. That is the message President Zardari and I wish to convey,” Dr. Singh said in a brief statement to the media.
Mr. Zardari responded in a similar vein, saying discussions were held on “all topics that we could have spoken about.”
Some issues such as that of imprisoned Pakistan biologist Khalil Chishti were raised at a small lunch that followed the talks.
Dr. Singh regretted the death of a large number of Pakistani soldiers at Siachen. He said India would be happy to provide any humanitarian assistance Pakistan required.
On Mr. Zardari's invitation to Dr. Singh to visit Islamabad, sources in the Ministry of External Affairs said they expected the dialogue process to make the kind of solid enough progress that would make it possible.
Keywords: Asif Ali Zardari, Manmohan Singh, Zardari's India visit, India Pakistan relations, Indo-Pak ties
The issues outstanding whether rightly or wrongly may not be solved instantly and may
take decades as these issues have become more of ego than issue.This has resulted in
breeding of mistrust,suspicion,and enmity.The casuality is the people of both country.There
should be more people to people contact and the visa regime should be relaxed by both
countries.With free trade and liberal travel policies ,people of both countries will benefit.
Illogical to expect any pak leader to offically give up on Kashmir, and stop "unofficial" support to Pak-based terror groups against India. Why should a energy-short India give power to Pakistan during summer, denying Indian citizens, when Pakistan refuses to give India MFN treatment quickly? What will India do with Hafiz Saeed, we have seen what is happening with Kasab. India is getting seduced by its sowrn enemy and even after the Lahore Declaration and Sharm-el-Shaikh bloomers, our PMs can't stop getting seduced.
Zardari's visit to India assumes significance at a time when he is being
pressurised by Uncle Sam and the Islamists.Caught between Scylla and
Charybdis he can be assumed of seeking Indian help.This is a nice
opportunity for India, atleast though not friendly this president of
Pakistan seems to be pragmatic.Let India make hay when sun shines(not
when it scorches!!!).
It is a total absurdity on India's part to allow the Pakistani President to visit a religious shrine on Indian soil. Nothing positive could come out through Musharraf's Agra summit. Also we should have not forgotten the fact that Pakistan did not allow Mahatma Gandhi's ashes to be immersed in the waters of Sindhu river.
why these people are talking about 2008 terror attack ? is it because its recent attack by pakistan ? Why govt. of India is forgetting and forgiving pak govt. on the parliament attack and other injuries given by Pakistanis ? If this will be the situation then to forget 2008 mumbai attack and to bring a new topic to talk they may attack again and change the topic ? Why India is feeling such a suppressed country ? Our politician are such a cheap who can't take any step against them. Only when some thing happens then they just discuss for some time till some thing new come up to talk about.
Why don"t we stop this drama? Who is fooling whom? No Indian will believe the words of both leaders. Only one request - please stop wasting the taxpayers hard earned money.
Why is Kashmir a "core" issue? Because of the two-nation theory. Pakistan must understand that while the existence of Pakistan continues to be, the two-nation theory has ceased to exist both in Asia, the Anglo-Saxon and Slav world. It is only the Middle-East and a few of South Asian states that still stick to this 7th Century phenomenon called an "Islamic State". Pakistan does not understand this, cannot understand this, but the fact remains that large and progressive countries like India, USA, China, Russia etc., will never accept the two-nation theory even in their wildest nightmares. That is the dead past of this subcontinent. Coming to India, we must speak to people who wield the real power in Pakistan. The "civilian government" is merely the PRO of its Military, their General is the real Monarch of Pakistan.
Zardari's trip to Delhi was just to lunch and pray. Nothing more should be read into it. Immediately on return their PM says they want more proof against Hafiz Sayeed. Pakistan has not in the past responded to Indian request for extraditing Dawood Ibrahim who was Indian national. What cooperation one can expect from them to deport Hafiz Sayeed.
@Mir Azad,
Why do you have to bring up Kashmir in every forum? Is that why your
name is Mir Azad? Pakistan can't handle it's own country and it talks
about Kashmir. You have fallen for the diversionary tactics of Pakistan
if you are a Pakistani. We talk about Saeed because his talks motivate
terrorists to attack here. Can you just stick to it. India is bashed
pretty badly in its own local newspaper regarding the state of Kashmir.
You don't need to comment about it.
we have been discussing these same issues "Kashmir","Terrorism" and "Peace between two nations" over and over again. It seems more to be a scripted meeting where both the parties know the Q&A's well in advance.
It is good that despite all the difficulties between India and Pakistan and all the jingoistic sentiment prevailing on both sides of the border talks are being regularly held. Solutions to the long festering issues between these two countries are going to come through, if at all, discussion and not by employing strong-arm tactic by any of them. To us the issue of terrorism originating there and to them Kashmir will always remain important but if we hold cooperation in every other fields ransom to these two we will go nowhere. I also don't think consequences of India's unilateral tough stance against Pakistan will only remain confined to India and Pakistan especially because of the importance of the region to the world. Moreover, the China factor cannot be ignored. The more we distance Pakistan the more they will embrace. In the event of Indo-Pak relation spiraling downward it is they who stand to gain the maximum. So engaging Pakistan will reduce China's option to play them against us.
The degree of pessimism in the readers' comments for India-Pakistan relation is very disheartening.
The political leaders, under pressure from the public mood, often employ rhetoric but that has little bearing on policy making vis-a-vis their respective countries. President Zardari would ratchet up Kashmir and Dr. Singh would harp on terrorism. The two countries have made significant progress in increasing bilateral trade and talks which is the only solution to all outstanding issues that concern us and often sour our relations.
Zardari's visit to India as a civilian president of Pakistan is welcome. Mr. Zardari has many challenges to his power position back at home but still PPP holds most of the political space. With the passage of 6 six decades of unreasy relationship between India and Pakistan, the people of both the countries greatly feel about it and strongly want change towards positivity. The negative forces running their shops on fundamentalism and communal hatred, must review their futile and destructive course. Let democracy and economy grow in both these neighbouring countries. Let us not carry forward hatred and ill will but hopefulness and positivity. Both the countries must coordinate and act together against such forces so that mutual trust grows and people to people contacts flourish.
Even if these two countries wish to come to terms in settling the grinding issues viz.Siachin glacier,occupied Kashmir and Sircreek etc,the SUPER POWERS that be behind the scene and steering the conflict go non stop would no longer feel happy over the bonhomie to take soon and allow an immediate solution.The ego clash therefore, wouldn't have any end and the saga would continue longer,longer,and longer.
With Pakistan breaking the promises blatantly, we get to become cynical
about such talks between the heads of two countries. Though it is
imperative to say tensions and slanging between the countries has
reduces substantially,I wonder we have not yet achieved any results
through such meetings.
I suppose its really hard for us to understand the abstract statements
by Dr. Singh and Mr. Zardari. ' Very effective bilateral talks' ,
finding 'practical and pragmatic solutions'.. How on this earth one
could fantasize what could be the practical and pragmatic solutions
considering the nature of relationship between India and Pakistan. And
this is not the first time we are hearing or reading this. It's always
the same old story. Sorry to say Mr. PMs, but we Indians need results
and not just your optimistic and utopian thoughts of future.
Bilateral talks are the best option for maintaining good relation, for this the visit and talk of Pakistan's president is good move. We have some bad experiences of the past but we can’t live on that. We must have to start soon and overcome all the misunderstandings and barriers very soon.
India has given long and enough time to do with the terrorists harboured by Pakistan. Why India give further time to decide the issue.Zardari is no longer enjoying the trust of the people.Pakistan is already a failed state. Why India still hoping for a positive response from the Pakistan. NO hospitality from India can change its attitude.
Posturing for domestic consumption is never a good thing for international relations. I'm sure Zardari told Singh that Pakistan will judge India based on its actions on the core issues of Kashmir.
Another political gimmicks are carried out by India & Pakistan. All kind of talks are going to be failed unless an open minded leader rules Pakistan. As far as India, we need to apply a strong diplomacy and economic sanction against Pakistan to create some pressure. Let us suffer once rather than suffocating ourselves for many years by using dialogues channels which was not produced any results.
Indian government knows that Zardari alone cannot do anything. Pakistan is a military dominated country where major foreign decision cannot be taken without military consent. So Zardari just came to visit Ajmer and he had to meet Manmohan singh. Don't expect anything from this meeting.
Pakistan is a sensitive neighour and India is not more powerful, more tactful than America. India's tactics to keep good relaton with Pakistan must be a more intelligent task than America's goodwill relation with Pakistan even after its frightening role in international terrosism.
this is the trip to visit ajmer dargah only.. they don't think a little bit about cross boarder terrorism. mushraff tour clearly showed their inner mind.
Zardari should know that anything that head of most corrupt government will do or say is very unlikely to be held or owned up by the next government even if it will be of the Congress party's government. So I would this is a waste of time but not for the Indians but more so for the Pakistanis.
Zardari's answer to terror complaints from india is: needs more discussion. Sad truth is that all the discussion with pakistan has failed to produce any result and that's why its being raised at the President Level. I expect absolutely zilch action from Pakistan on this account.
Last time Musharraf visited India, everyone knows what happened. this time also its just the waste of time and money (tax payer's). Better solution is do something in Israel way..
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