No structured agenda for one- on- one
The dossiers given by the ministry of home affairs to the Prime Minister’s Office also contain the names of “state actors” in Pakistan who were behind 26/ 11 as well as all material evidence linked to the Mumbai terror attacks.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is to land at the Palam Air Force Station here at about 11.45 am on Sunday and will head straight for the PM’S 7, Race Course Road residence for what is being described by government sources as a “one- on- one meeting” with the PM for which “there is no structured agenda“. During the meeting, Mr Zardari is also expected to invite Dr Singh to visit Pakistan by the year- end. Dr Singh, on his part, has said more than once that he would like the outcome to be substantive if he visits Pakistan.
Mr Zardari’s visit, though billed as private — he will be heading to the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer after his meeting and lunch with the PM — is also significant in that he will become the first Pakistani head of state to visit India since 2005, when General Pervez Musharraf, the
Mr Zardari’s visit is significant in that he will become the first Pakistani head of state since Mr Musharraf to visit India after 2005
then military ruler of Pakistan, had travelled to New Delhi for talks. Accompanying him will be his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, as well as some other family members apart from officials.
Officials from the Pakistani side too admit that there is “no agenda for talks but of course all bilateral issues will be discussed”.
As one senior official in the Pakistan President’s office remarked in a lighter vein, “It will be a meeting like a date between two lovers. Everything will be behind the scenes.”
Among these are the “core issues” of Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, watersharing and people- to- people contact between the two neighbours.
Ironically, even as India continues to demand that the 26/ 11 culprits be brought to book by Pakistan, Opposition parties in Pakistan led by the Pakistan Muslim League ( Nawaz) and the Pakistan Tehrik- e- Insaf have asked that President Zardari cancel his India visit since New Delhi “is not sincere” about making peace with Pakistan.
During the SinghZardari meeting, India is also expected to raise the issue of ceasefire violations by Pakistan. New Delhi’s concerns about repeated infiltration attempts from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir may also be raised at the SinghZardari meeting.
As regards New Delhi building pressure on Pakistan to bring the 26/ 11 attacks accused to book, a fresh dossier containing the confession of the lone surviving gunman, Ajmal Kasab, the post- mortem reports of the victims and the case diary of the Mumbai attacks case has already been shared with Pakistan during the recent Pakistan judicial commission’s visit.
The recent visit of the judicial commission to record the statements of the key 26/ 11 accused is a significant development as India has now provided additional information and details relating to the Mumbai terror attack sought by Islamabad.