India, Pakistan open to restarting talks

February 05, 2010|Associated Press

NEW DELHI - India has offered to resume bilateral talks with Pakistan that were halted after the deadly Mumbai terrorist attacks nearly 15 months ago, an official said yesterday.

India proposed the resumption of discussions between the foreign secretaries on terrorism and other issues, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing the sensitivity of the matter. Pakistan welcomed the offer.

India and Pakistan launched broad-based talks in 2004 aimed at resolving several disputes between the nuclear-armed neighbors, including the divided region of Kashmir.

India put the peace process on hold soon after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008 that left 166 people dead. India blamed the attack on the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, based in Pakistan.

“The issue of counterterrorism will be raised, as well as other issues to contribute to creating an atmosphere of peace and security,’’ the Indian official said. He did not say when the meeting would take place.

In Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi welcomed the Indian talks offer, saying it was a “positive step.’’

The bilateral talks should start from where they had been put on hold by India after the Mumbai attacks, he said.

The first signs of a thaw in relations was evident Wednesday when the government announced India’s minister for internal security, Palaniappan Chidambaram, would attend a meeting in Islamabad Feb.26.