Ahead of the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani,India said that it recognises the "salience" of dialogue but it is premised on an atmosphere free of the threat of violence. In a statement in the Lok Sabha,External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said Pakistan must "expose" and "take action" against "conspiracies and conspirators" for terror attacks launched in India from across the border. Krishna said despite assurances from the highest levels in Islamabad,India has been "repeatedly and severely" hit by a series of terrorist attacks emanating from Pakistan. "It is the responsibility of the government of Pakistan to take all such steps as are necessary to address this issue and expose and take action against the conspiracies and conspirators responsible for such attacks. Unfortunately,terrorists in Pakistan continue attacks against India," he said. India recognises the "importance and salience of a continued dialogue with Pakistan. However,dialogue addressing mutual concerns is premised on an atmosphere free of threat of violence," Krishna said. The comments assume significance as they came just ahead of Singh's meeting with Gilani in Egypt on the sidelines of the NAM Summit to take stock of what Pakistan has done to punish perpetrators of Mumbai attacks and end terrorism directed against India. Mentioning last month's meeting between Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in Yekaterinburg in Russia,Krishna noted that the latter talked about his government's efforts to end terror directed against India and the difficulties it faces. It was agreed that the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries will discuss what Pakistan is doing and can do to prevent terrorism from Pakistan against India and to bring to justice those responsible for these attacks,including the attacks in Mumbai,he said. Krishna,who was making the statement on 'Significant developments in our neighbourhood',said in India's vision of a "cooperative and harmonious sub-continent",the relationship between India and Pakistan can be a crucial building block. He referred to Singh's recent statement in Parliament in which he spelt out intention of meeting Pakistan more than half the way if its leaders have the 'courage,determination and statesmanship to take the high road to peace'. "These sentiments encapsulate our approach," the minister said. Krishna said even in 2004,the Composite Dialogue process was started with Pakistan on the "explicit premise" that there will be an atmosphere free of terror. The External Affairs Minister pointed out that Pakistan government had given assurances at the highest level that it would not let territories under its control to be used for attacks against India. "Notwithstanding these assurances,we have been repeatedly and severely hit by a series of terrorist attacks emanating from Pakistan..Unfortunately,terrorists in Pakistan continue attacks against India," he added. "Despite achievements,the dialogue and our very relationship with Pakistan have come under stress recurrently because of the license which terrorist groups have had in Pakistan to carry out attacks on India," Krishna said.
