India-Pakistan talks begin, focus on Abu Jindal

NEW DELHI: Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani began their talks here on Wednesday during which India is expected to strongly flag the issue of terror activities being planned from Pakistani soil in the backdrop of arrest of LeT terrorist Abu Jundal, who has revealed Pakistani involvement in Mumbai terror attacks.

The Indian side is also expected to hand over copies of the Pakistani passport and Pakistan's domestic identity cards issued to Jundal in the name of Riyasat Ali to the visiting delegation, indicating the involvement of its state agencies.

Assisted by their senior colleagues, Mathai and Jilani are having talks on three segments --peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir and promotion of friendly exchanges.

India will also ask Pakistan to find out how such crucial national documents were issued to Jundal and to find out who were behind providing the passport and the two ID cards to Jundal.

Jundal's Pakistani passport, which is valid till 2014, enabled him to travel to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan.

The Indian side will also hand over a list of Jundal's Pakistani contacts given by him during his sustained interrogation by the security agencies.

Jundal had revealed that he, along with LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, was in the control room in Pakistan during 26/11 Mumbai carnage in 2008 in which 166 people were killed.

Last week, Home Minister P Chidambaram had strongly stated that Jundal's arrest showed there was state support for the 26/11 attacks. It had evoked a sharp reaction from Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik who had aid that India was failing to control its own citizens.

The Indian side is also expected to raise the issue of Sarabjit Singh, who is accused of spying in Pakistan and is currently on death row.