…And New Delhi works hard to keep the door open

Describing his six-and-half-hour talk with Qureshi as “extensive and serious discussion”,he said there was “cordial,frank and useful exchange of views on all issues”. He tried to play down the sparring match with Qureshi at a press conference after the talks.

Two things,however,seemed clear: New Delhi wants to present the visit as the first cautious step towards bringing the Indo-Pak dialogue back on track but on its own terms. India also wants to send out the message that while the talks process continues,headway will be possible only if Islamabad takes concrete measures on the issue of terror.

In fact,India has turned Islamabad’s action on the Mumbai terror attack as a litmus test to gauge Pakistani sincerity for dialogue. At each press briefing during his three-day visit,Krishna repeated the demand that Pakistan must act against the perpetrators of 26/11 and get to the bottom of the conspiracy behind the attack. “We told them that terror is the biggest obstacle. As long as this is not met,all efforts to smoothen relations are futile,” he said.

There is also an effort to put the current round of bilateral talks in context as Krishna’s visit was the first since 26/11. Sources said there is need to understand that there is hiatus in expectations by both sides and a slow,cautious and continuous engagement is the only way to move ahead.

It is clear that the two countries disagreed primarily on the agenda. While India wanted to focus on terror,especially the 26/11attack,and resume the process with smaller steps like confidence-building measures etc,Pakistan wanted to bring to the table all issues that were part of the composite dialogue process.

There was also the issue of a timeline. While New Delhi didn’t want any timeline,Pakistan wanted it for every issue. “In diplomatic parleys,we don’t go by a timeline. The issues that we discussed,a timeline was not possible and feasible,” sources said. Islamabad’s approach was clear — they wanted to discuss everything or nothing. “This is what they termed ambiguous,” sources said.

Despite Krishna’s efforts to play down the differences,the sparring match didn’t end,especially after Qureshi’s comments about Krishna’s repeated phone calls to Delhi during the talks. Krishna denied having called Delhi even once during the talks. “I never used any telephone. It is an extraordinary statement (for Qureshi) to make. In diplomatic parleys,Foreign Ministers are in touch with their base and there is nothing wrong to call if something arises,” he said. “The mandate that was given to me was so precise and clear that I didn’t need any instruction from New Delhi.”

Krishna also had a rebuttal on Qureshi’s remarks about Home Secretary G K Pillai raising the ISI link to 26/11. After the talks yesterday,Qureshi told the press conference that both thought Pillai’s comments were “uncalled for”. The manner in which Qureshi mentioned Pillai gave the impression that he had compared Union Home Secretary’s remarks with the anti-India speeches made by Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed.

“Where is the question of comparison? Saeed is a person who has been speaking out of turn against India. He has been crying Jihad against India. We have always said that such people who incite anti-india propaganda would not help smoothen relations between the two countries,” Krishna said.

He said Pillai’s remark on the role of the ISI in 26/11 was based on the interrogation of David Coleman Headley who is in FBI custody. Sources said that Krishna did not raise the issue of ISI involvement in 26/11 with Qureshi since Home Minister P Chidambaram had already conveyed it to Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

BOX: The stumbling blocks

* Kashmir: India says happenings in J&K an internal matter. Pakistan disagrees,says it too has a say.

* 26/11: India wants action. Pakistan promises action but says no timeframe possible because judiciary cannot

be directed.

* Balochistan: India says produce evidence to back allegations of meddling. Pakistan sticks to stand.

* Hafiz Saeed: India says his anti-India speeches will not help improve ties. Pakistan says what about Indian Home Secretary G K Pillai’s ISI-26/11 remarks.

* Dialogue: Pakistan says India inflexible on issues of concern to Islamabad. India says Pakistanis said discuss everything or nothing.