India and Pakistan are likely to announce resumption of the “paused” bilateral dialogue process when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the Non Aligned Movement Summit at Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt next week.
The move comes after three weeks of hectic diplomatic activity in Islamabad that saw Pakistan’s ISI chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha briefing Indian diplomats on the status of investigations into the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the steps taken to catch and book the perpetrators.
A highly placed government source said that Pasha had met India’s military attaché in Islamabad with a detailed update on the 26/11 investigations. The source indicated that Pakistan’s attitude was positive and the government has reason to be satisfied with the way things are progressing.
This is perhaps India’s first official contact with the ISI and represents a significant shift in our dealings with Pakistan. India has always blamed the ISI for masterminding cross-border terrorism but now seems to be veering around to a more pragmatic view that may pave the way for some kind of cooperation between intelligence agencies of both countries.
It remains to be seen whether co-option will blunt the ISI’s strong anti-India leanings. The disclosure of engagement with the ISI came from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a press interaction on his way back from the G-8/G-5 outreach summit in L’Aquila.
He said that after his meeting with Pakistani President Asif Zardari in Russia last month, Indian diplomats have been talking to Pakistan’s foreign office for an authentic update of the 26/11 investigations in that country.
“They’ve given us information about the steps they have taken against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack,” the PM revealed. “I’m hopeful Pakistan will do much more.”
A PMO aide explained that it was not possible for India to sustain its “no talks” position any longer. India was fast losing the sympathy of the international community because of its intransigent attitude. The timing of the expected announcement to resume bilateral engagement is significant. It precedes US secretary of state Hillary’s Clinton’s visit to the region at the end of the month.
