Ahead of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s visit, India has moved forward on the joint anti-terror mechanism handing over the composition of its team to Pakistan. The Intelligence Bureau will represent the security agencies in the group.

With the chargesheet on the Mumbai blasts case already filed, sources said, India has indicated its willingness to hold a meeting as early as this month to share the evidence. While Pakistan is yet to respond, India is open to being flexible with dates but wants the meeting at least before the Foreign Secretaries meet to start the fourth round of the Composite Dialogue in March.

The two sides had agreed last November that the three-member group on each side will be headed by Additional Secretaries but the other two members were undecided. While Pakistan is still to resolve its team composition, the Indian side will be headed by K C Singh, Additional Secretary in the MEA, and will have L C Goyal, Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry, along with an IB official as its other members.

It’s learnt that a team of officials from different agencies will form an internal group to assist the members of this terror mechanism to share evidence with Pakistan.

Hoping that Pakistan, too, hands over its team composition, Mukherjee will urge Islamabad to respond to evidence already passed on two months ago and also convene an early meeting of the group. India is clear that progress on terror remains crucial to the peace process. Pakistan’s willingness to deliver through this mechanism, sources said, will go a long way in boosting trust levels.

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