India, Pak bid to revive anti-terror mechanism
Even as international concerns over terror havens in Pakistan increase, India and Pakistan will attempt to revive the anti-terror mechanism with a meeting in Islamabad later this month.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: Even as international concerns over terror havens in Pakistan increase, India and Pakistan will attempt to revive the anti-terror mechanism with a meeting in Islamabad later this month.
The two countries have decided to hold the third meeting of the anti terror mechanism on June 24 in Islamabad, three days ahead of the visit of Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to India.
The Indian establishment will be hoping that the democratically-elected government is more responsive on the counter terrorism front and that the mechanism does not collapse into a forum for trading charges and counter-charges. This is what had happened in the first two meetings of the mechanism.
``The two sides will discuss various counter-terrorism measures and exchange information to assist in investigations related to terrorist acts,��� said a statement issued by the Pakistan���s Foreign Office.
At the second meeting, India had asked Pakistan for information on terrorists Shahid Bilal, who is suspected to be behind a number of terror attacks, including the Ajmer blast. Similarly, India had also given some leads to Pakistan on the cross border linkages of a number of bomb blasts including the Samjhauta Express blast and the Hyderabad blasts in 2007. But Pakistan, till now, has deflected most queries.
At the time, the two countries were also unable to hold quarterly meetings of the mechanism as agreed. As a result, only two meetings were held last year, in March and October.
The decision to revive the anti-terror mechanism was taken during external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee���s visit to Islamabad to revive the composite dialogue process.
The Indian delegation will be led by Vivek Katju, additional secretary (political and international organisations) in MEA while the Pakistani side will be led by Mr Masood Khalid, additional secretary (Asia Pacific).
Incidents of unprovoked firing from across the border and the recent Jaipur blasts have ensured that terrorism continues to remain on top of the Indo-Pak agenda even as the composite dialogue process resumes and both countries look at expanding cooperation in other areas.
The Indian side during recent talks had asked the new Pakistani government to take concrete steps to stop cross border terrorism and to honour the pledge to not allow anti-India terrorist groups to operate on its soil.
The decision to set up the mechanism was taken during a meeting between president Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the margins of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Havana in September 2006.
The two countries have decided to hold the third meeting of the anti terror mechanism on June 24 in Islamabad, three days ahead of the visit of Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to India.
The Indian establishment will be hoping that the democratically-elected government is more responsive on the counter terrorism front and that the mechanism does not collapse into a forum for trading charges and counter-charges. This is what had happened in the first two meetings of the mechanism.
``The two sides will discuss various counter-terrorism measures and exchange information to assist in investigations related to terrorist acts,��� said a statement issued by the Pakistan���s Foreign Office.
At the second meeting, India had asked Pakistan for information on terrorists Shahid Bilal, who is suspected to be behind a number of terror attacks, including the Ajmer blast. Similarly, India had also given some leads to Pakistan on the cross border linkages of a number of bomb blasts including the Samjhauta Express blast and the Hyderabad blasts in 2007. But Pakistan, till now, has deflected most queries.
At the time, the two countries were also unable to hold quarterly meetings of the mechanism as agreed. As a result, only two meetings were held last year, in March and October.
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The decision to revive the anti-terror mechanism was taken during external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee���s visit to Islamabad to revive the composite dialogue process.
The Indian delegation will be led by Vivek Katju, additional secretary (political and international organisations) in MEA while the Pakistani side will be led by Mr Masood Khalid, additional secretary (Asia Pacific).
Incidents of unprovoked firing from across the border and the recent Jaipur blasts have ensured that terrorism continues to remain on top of the Indo-Pak agenda even as the composite dialogue process resumes and both countries look at expanding cooperation in other areas.
The Indian side during recent talks had asked the new Pakistani government to take concrete steps to stop cross border terrorism and to honour the pledge to not allow anti-India terrorist groups to operate on its soil.
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The decision to set up the mechanism was taken during a meeting between president Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the margins of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Havana in September 2006.
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