Pak defers signing of visa deal, India miffed

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India and Pakistan on Friday failed to sign an agreement on a liberalised visa regime, expected at the end of the home secretary-level talks in Islamabad, and merely agreed to do so soon, after Islamabad insisted at the last minute on 'political participation'.

The two sides, however, did agree to further cooperation between their investigative agencies, including on 26/11, while Pakistan agreed in principle to receive an Indian judicial commission for a probe into the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.

India’s displeasure at Friday’s developments was evident with foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai telling reporters in New Delhi: “We had gone there fully prepared to sign it (the agreement).” He also noted 'both sides had attached a lot of importance on signing the visa agreement'.

Mr Mathai attributed the failure to ink the pact to 'some delay in their (Pakistani) procedures' as well as Pakistan interior minister Rehman Malik’s 'desire for political participation in inking the agreement'.

Mr Malik, who met India’s home secretary R.K. Singh separately, said he had invited home minister P. Chidambaram to visit Pakistan, and hoped the agreement could be signed during Mr Chidambaram’s visit.

Mr Malik had made a similar suggestion a month ago, but Mr Chidambaram had declined then, suggesting it be done at the talks between the home secretaries. Mr Mathai recalled the decision (on the visa agreement) was taken when Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi in April.

The planned visa regime relaxation was seen as a major step in furthering the peace process. External affairs minister S.M. Krishna told Parliament after the Singh-Zardari meeting a 'liberalised visa agreement should be signed at the next meeting of the home secretaries'.

A joint statement issued in Islamabad on Friday after the two-day talks between Mr R.K. Singh and Pakistan’s Khwaja Siddique Akbar said the two nations agreed to sign a new visa agreement at an early date. The Pakistani side said 'some internal approvals were under process, and (it) will be signed once they are in place'.

On 26/11, it said Pakistan 'agreed in principle to receive a judicial commission from India', and that 'modalities, mandate and composition of the commission will be worked out through diplomatic channels'.

Mr Malik said both sides exchanged dossiers on terror- elated issues, and Pakistan had got additional
evidence from India against Hafiz Saeed.

He added Pakistan could not act on the basis of 'hearsay', and that it would examine the evidence against Saeed.