Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level talks came to a conclusion on Wednesday with the neighbours agreeing to set up a joint terror mechanism headed by three Additional Secretary-level officials from both countries.
The mechanism will be coordinated by the Foreign Office of both the countries, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Muhammad Khan announced at a press conference at the conclusion of talks with his Indian counterpart Shiv Shankar Menon here.
While India is understood to have provided some evidence to Pakistan on terrorist attacks in the country, Pakistan called linking of Mumbai 7/11 blasts with it as regrettable.
He said Pakistan very much resented the "finger pointing" by India "within 15 minutes" of blasts. "No where in Asia we have that much efficiency to find out things in such a short time," he added.
Khan said Pakistan was also a victim of terror and peace was important to both countries.
He also said the two sides agreed to exchange specific information on terror-related activities, if any.
The two sides also initiated a complete text on agreement for reduction of nuclear risks between the two countries and hoped that a formal agreement in this regard would be signed soon.
However, Pakistan refused to confirm India's position on Siachen and said the country will stick to its stand of no authentication of Indian ground troops position in the world's highest battlefield.
The agreement on anti-terror mechanism is a follow up on the agreement between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf in Havana in September.
He also regretted that the composite dialogue process was derailed after the blasts which is he said was not in consonance with the Delhi declaration.
Khan said it would be dangerous folly for both the countries to try and destabilise each other.
He said in the last three years of the peace process, there had never been such focussed discussions on Kashmir like they had in the last two days.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan sought consular access to Mohammed Fahad, the suspected Pakistani terrorist arrested in Mysore recently, even as the foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries entered the second day on Wednesday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MEETING |
 Pakistan stick to its stand of no authentication of Indian ground troops position in Siachen. |
| Pakistan’s foreign minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri to visit India in Jan or Feb next year. |
| No date agreed on Muzaffarabad -Srinagar truck service. |
| Nuclear risk reduction agreement finds mention in joint statement. |
| No date finalised for Siachen talks. |
| Ideas exchanged on Siachen demilitarisation. |
| India and Pakistan agree that Siachen is dispute which can be resolved. |
| Pakistan proposes December 22-23 for expert level talk on Sir Creek. |
INDO-PAK TIES: THE LANDMARKS |
| CEASEFIRE LINE: Despite differences over Kashmir, a truce has held there since November 2003 and the two sides have launched a so-called composite dialogue on a range of issues, including Kashmir. - Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf offered in December 2003 to set aside a longstanding demand to implement UN resolutions for both sides to withdraw troops and for Kashmiris to decide in a vote on whether to be part of India or Pakistan. |
| DIPLOMATIC TIES: As part of the peace process, India and Pakistan have increased the size of their diplomatic missions from 55 to 75 and removed travel restrictions on diplomats. In October 2005, they signed an agreement to inform each other in advance about test flights of ballistic missiles. They have also set up a hotline to prevent nuclear misunderstandings. |
| SPORTS: In March 2004, the cricket-loving countries played their first full series in nearly 14 years after India lifted a ban on bilateral games, allowing its team to travel to Pakistan. |
| TRANSPORT LINKS: Cross-border bus links were restored in July 2003 and in November both nations resumed air links and allowed overflights after a two-year suspension. - In January 2004, train links were restored and in April 2005, Kashmiris on either side of the ceasefire line were allowed to visit each other on a first bus service in almost 60 years. |
| TRADE: Pakistan and India signed a framework pact on a regional free-trade area in January 2004 under which India and Pakistan agreed to cut tariffs to between zero and 5 percent within 7 years of the start of the agreement. |
| PRISONER EXCHANGE: Pakistan and India have exchanged hundreds of prisoners, mostly fishermen and villagers, since the peace process began. |
| ENERGY COOPERATION: A decade-old Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline plan was revived and energy officials from the three nations met for two days in May 2006 to review progress on the $7 billion project. It was postponed over disagreement on gas pricing mechanism. |
| QUAKE RELIEF: Both nations set aside decades of hostility to provide aid to survivors of the Oct. 2005 earthquake in Kashmir. |
Islamabad also ruled out bus services on Jammu-Sialkot and Kargil-Skardu routes.
The Pakistani delegation has also expressed reservation on the opening up of Munabao-Khokrapar route for trade.
Both sides, however, agreed on the need to release prisoners held for minor crimes. Pakistan has also sought simplification of formalities for cross-border people-to-people contact.
On the Jammu and Kashmir front, Pakistan has proposed reduction in the level of Indian military presence. However, India has remained ambivalent on this issue. The two sides also discussed the proposals for self rule and joint management of J&K.
Day 1: 'Positive atmosphere:
On Tuesday, the two countries held talks in 'a positive and constructive atmosphere', and also discussed a wide range of bilateral issues including Jammu and Kashmir, peace and security, the dispute over the Siachen Glacier and the need to accelerate people-to-people contacts through more confidence-building measures.
India had also shared with Pakistan 'some evidence' of Islamabad's linkage with terrorist attacks in Delhi, Varanasi,Mysore and Bangalore and asked the latter to cooperate in fighting the 'menace of terrorism' as the neighbours resumed their stalled foreign-secretary level talks.
The two countries were also reportedly close to an agreement on nuclear risk reduction as part of non-conventional confidence-building measures (CBMs), sources said.
"Part of the discussions naturally were focused on the declaration that was agreed to between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf in Havana and the follow-up action being taken thereafter," India's external affairs ministry spokesperson Navtej Sarna said.
"The two sides also discussed the menace of terrorism and the proposed anti-terror mechanism under the declaration," Sarna told reporters after talks between Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Mohammad Khan. A considerable amount of time was spent on discussing terrorism in the wake of the Havana Declaration, Sarna stressed.
New Delhi also conveyed its concerns and shared "some evidence of the complicity of Pakistan-based militants, supported by the country's intelligence agency", in terrorist incidents in its territory over the last one year, including in the 7/11 Mumbai train bombings.
Mumbai blasts evidence not given
Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon said during the talks India had not given Pakistan information about the Mumbai blasts because a charge sheet has not been filed in the case.
Information regarding recent terrorist incidents in India had been given. Islamabad has been told that it should prevent banned organisations like the Lashkar from launching terrorist attacks in India
"It is the cross border links that we raised with Pakistan about acts of terror (committed in India). The joint anti-terror mechanism is one way of dealing with it. We hope it will take some action," he said.
(With agency inputs)
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