The first day of two-day talks between India’s foreign secretary Ranjan Matahai and his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani on Wednesday focused on terror, Abu Jundal’s startling revelations and Jammu and Kashmir. Union home minister P. Chidambaram raised pressure on Islamabad, saying Jundal had clearly indicated the involvement of Pakistani “state actors” in the 26/11 Mumbai carnage.
India noted Jundal confessed he and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba founder Hafiz Saeed were in the Pakistan “control room” during 26/11. New Delhi also pointed to the issuance of a Pakistani passport to Jundal, voicing dismay at the slow pace of the 26/11 trial in Pakistan, saying that country had to do much more to bring the perpetrators to book.
The two delegations also discussed trade, travel, other confidence-building measures. On Jammu and Kashmir, the officials conferred on ways to boost commerce across the Line of Control.
MEA spokesperson Syed Akabaruddin said the foreign secretaries and their delegations had “two full sessions of detailed discussions covering all aspects”, and would resume parleys Thursday on other items. The signing of a pact on liberalised visas, which could not be done in May in Islamabad, might be taken up. Mr Jilani will call on external affairs minister S.M. Krishna on Thursday.
Mr Chidambaram, taking a hard line against Pakistan for its complicity in 26/11, said Wednesday the role of “state actors” in the Mumbai carnage has become increasingly clear . He said the 26/11 control room in Pakistan could not have been set up without “state support”. The home ministry, in a detailed note to MEA, provided details to prove that Pakistan was sheltering key 26/11 handler Abu Jundal.