India-Pakistan Foreign Secretary-level talks: India 'mulling options'

NEW DELHI: India is "mulling various possibilities" regarding engagement with Pakistan, including postponing the foreign secretary-level dialogue on Jan 14-15. It's planning either to prepone the NSA-level talks or merge FSNSA-level dialogue to discuss the Pathankot attack and various other incidents of cross-border terror.

NSA Ajit K Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Naseer Khan Janjua were earlier scheduled to meet in February to discuss the contentious issue of cross-border terror and its infrastructure after the FS level meeting. The NSAs have been mandated by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif to discuss countering terrorism, while the foreign secretaries are meant to discuss a roadmap for the comprehensive dialogue.

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Official sources told ET that post-Pathankot, India may either suggest holding NSA-level dialogue to discuss terror and hold FS-level dialogue thereafter or club NSA-FS-level meetings.

Terror will be key item on the agenda of discussions. The two NSAs and foreign secretaries held a joint meeting in Bangkok on December 6.

These options were discussed at a top-level meeting held here on Monday morning attended by the PM, foreign minister, defence minister, NSA, foreign secretary and home secretary.

Modi chaired a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the Pathankot attack as well as the attack on Indian consulate at Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan and the earthquake in the northeast.

ET View

We Need Serious Trust From Pakistan The Pathankot attack puts a new spin on the India-Pakistan dialogue. While the government will take a final decision on the talks in the next few days, the attack has now put the spotlight firmly back on crossborder terrorism. New Delhi must make it clear that meaningful dialogue is not possible without a modicum of trust that Pakistani interlocutors are in a position to make material contributions to a meaningful and fruitful dialogue.