The summit of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries will take place mid-July in Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt, and indications are the FS-level meeting is likely to be held in the last week of June or early July.

Manmohan Singh on Tuesday told President Zardari to take action to stop terrorism against India emanating from his country’s soil. Setting the tone for the meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, Singh, shaking hands with Zardari, bluntly told him in front of television cameras that “my mandate is to tell you that Pakistan territory should not be used for terrorism against India.”

An embarrassed Zardari told the Prime Minister to let “them (media) go” out of the room before they could have a detailed discussion.

The decision to go ahead with Foreign Secretary-level talks means a slow and gradual process of resuming dialogue has begun. The move sends out a signal to the US that New Delhi has made the first incremental step towards dialogue with Islamabad and is not an obstructionist. The US has been pushing for resumption of dialogue, although Undersecretary of State (political affairs) William Burns had said last week that the “pace, scope and character” of the talks have to be decided by India and Pakistan.

While South Block is adamant that this meeting does not mean resumption of composite dialogue between the countries, sources said that the meeting between the two Foreign Secretaries will not only discuss terrorism but other issues of mutual concern as well.

Besides breaking the ice between the two sides, this step has raised hopes of heralding discussions on a slew of pending issues between the two sides in “due course” of time: talks on Sir Creek dispute, Siachen and liberalisation of visa regimes among them.

Briefing the media on the meeting, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said: “The Prime Minister conveyed to the Pakistan President the full extent of our expectation of strong and effective steps to prevent use of Pakistani territory for terrorism against India.”

Menon made it clear that meetings between Singh and Zardari and the Foreign Secretaries did not mean resumption of dialogue. “Foreign Secretaries will discuss the primary issue of terrorism and what Pakistan has done... we would like to hear what they have done to end terrorism directed against India,” he said.

Menon said relations between India and Pakistan were under “considerable stress” and the prime cause for it was terror acts coming out of Pakistan.

During the meeting, Zardari explained “some of the efforts” made by Pakistan to deal with terrorism and the “problem” Pakistan faced in this regard. As a follow up to Tuesday’s deliberations, Foreign Secretaries of the two countries would discuss “what Pakistan is doing and what can be done”, Menon said, adding that the conclusions would be conveyed to the respective leaders so that they could take a view on it.

During the meeting, Singh is also believed to have conveyed India’s disappointment over the release of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafeez Mohammad Saeed. On Pakistan’s contention that it was also a victim of terrorism, Menon said: “There is terrorism in Pakistan but that is not an issue here. What has paused the dialogue is terrorism coming out of Pakistan against India like the Mumbai attacks.”

On Pakistan’s insistence on resumption of dialogue, Menon said: “We too would like the dialogue, but the issue (terrorism directed against India) has to be addressed.”

Menon referred to the Prime Minister’s statement that it was in India’s interest to try to make peace with Pakistan “but it takes two hands to clap.” Menon said India had never said it would not talk to Pakistan but the issue of terrorism had to be addressed.

Menon sought to downplay Singh’s message to Zardari in front of media by saying much should not be read into it as the Prime Minister “wanted to say something and said it.”

Menon and his Pakistani counterpart, Salman Bashir, had last met in July last year for the Composite Dialogue process in Delhi. This time, Pakistan’s diplomatic sources point out, it is Islamabad’s turn to host the meeting. Sources, however, don’t rule out a meeting in New Delhi as well.

New Delhi is now expecting a firm action by Islamabad before the FS-level talks ¿ there are indications that Punjab government in Pakistan will file a petition to review the Lahore High Court judgement to free Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed before the June-end/early July meeting.

Though these are early signs of a thaw, if Pakistan is seen to be taking “credible steps”, then there are possibilities of negotiations to begin on some of the issues which are considered to be “low hanging fruits” between the two countries.

(with PRESS TRUST OF INDIA)