India and Pakistan held wide-ranging discussions on Thursday about militant extremism, Kashmir and other disputes in the first talks between the rival nations since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
India said the nearly four-hour meeting between the nuclear-armed countries' foreign secretaries in New Delhi was intended to begin the process of rebuilding a relationship badly damaged by that deadly siege, which India blames on Pakistan-based militants.
Nirupama Rao, Indian Foreign Secretary says;
"If we are to build upon the past discussions at an appropriate time, trust and confidence between us must be restored. We have set out to take a first step towards rebuilding trust and I believe my meeting with the Pakistan foreign secretary has constituted that first step."
Pakistan has called for the resumption of comprehensive peace talks, but India has demanded it crack down on militant groups operating from its soil first.
Pakistan is currently trying seven men on charges they planned and carried out the Mumbai attacks, which led to the deaths of 166 people.
Salman Bashir, Pakistani Foreign Secretary says;
"As far as the issue of Mumbai is concerned, Pakistan has done everything that was proper and what could be done including investigations on its own, and has now these suspects under trial. But it is unfair and it is unrealistic and it is, in our view, counterproductive to make this issue in a generic way or one incident, keep that, the focus on that and to stall the process of the overall relationship between the two countries. The only proper way in our view is to engage meaningfully, across the board, on all these issues."
Pakistan used the meeting to raise broader issues including the dispute over Kashmir, allegations that India is aiding militants in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan and a conflict over shared water resources.
Ebru News
India & Pakistan Foreign Ministers Hold Talks
India and Pakistan held wide-ranging discussions on Thursday about militant extremism, Kashmir and other disputes in the first talks between the rival nations since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.