Pakistani and Indian Foreign Ministers Meet in Islamabad
Pakistani and Indian foreign ministers met on Thursday in a bid to revive peace talks broken off after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. No breakthrough is expected as distrust lingers between the two countries.
Shortly after his arrival on Wednesday in Islamabad, Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said he would press Pakistan on progress of the probe into the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.
Following the minister’s statement, the Indian Home Secretary made comments in a newspaper accusing Pakistan's main spy agency, Inter Services Intelligence, of orchestrating the Mumbai attacks.
The remarks by Indian officials reflected continuing mistrust between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
However, both sides have been under pressure from the United States to reduce tensions… because their rivalry is often played out in Afghanistan and complicates efforts to bring peace there.
The talks between Krishna and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi could see them framing a new format to replace a broad 2004 peace process, known as the composite dialogue. India suspended talks after the Mumbai attacks.
For India, security is the top issue and it wants Pakistan to show it is serious in reining in the militants behind the Mumbai attacks.
India has accused the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group of being behind the attacks.
Pakistan wants an early settlement of its dispute with India over the Kashmir region which lies at the heart of hostilities between the two countries.
Shortly after his arrival on Wednesday in Islamabad, Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said he would press Pakistan on progress of the probe into the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.
Following the minister’s statement, the Indian Home Secretary made comments in a newspaper accusing Pakistan's main spy agency, Inter Services Intelligence, of orchestrating the Mumbai attacks.
The remarks by Indian officials reflected continuing mistrust between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
However, both sides have been under pressure from the United States to reduce tensions… because their rivalry is often played out in Afghanistan and complicates efforts to bring peace there.
The talks between Krishna and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi could see them framing a new format to replace a broad 2004 peace process, known as the composite dialogue. India suspended talks after the Mumbai attacks.
For India, security is the top issue and it wants Pakistan to show it is serious in reining in the militants behind the Mumbai attacks.
India has accused the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group of being behind the attacks.
Pakistan wants an early settlement of its dispute with India over the Kashmir region which lies at the heart of hostilities between the two countries.
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