India may not be fully satisfied with Pakistan’s actions in the Mumbai 26/11 investigations but last month’s meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in Russia did open up some important doors of engagement. Lt Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha, D-G of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), met the three Indian Defence attaches in Islamabad and conveyed a word of reassurance through them on taking action in the Mumbai case.

“After my meeting with Zardari Sahib, our High Commissioner has had some talks, there has been some interaction with the ISI Chief and also the (Pakistan) Foreign Office. They have given us some information on what they are doing about the perpetrators of the Mumbai massacre. We hope that they will move forward in this direction and it is with this hope that I will talk to Prime Minister Gilani,” said Singh on his way back from the G8 Summit at L’Aquila, Italy.

It’s learnt that ISI being the nodal authority for defence attaches posted in Islamabad, the DG ISI held a meeting with the three Indian attaches there and told them that Pakistan was committed to investigation on the Mumbai attacks.

This was an important meeting given that the ISI Chief was to have talks with Indian authorities right after the Mumbai attacks but the idea was scuttled even after there was high-level political commitment to ensure the meeting. While Lt Gen Pasha did not let out much in terms of specifics, sources said, he did seem to convey that action would be taken in due course.

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