By NNN-PTI,
Islamabad : The Composite Dialogue has become an early casualty of tension between India and Pakistan in the wake of attacks in Mumbai, with several key meetings under it being put on hold as New Delhi awaits “strong action” from Islamabad against terrorists responsible for the carnage.
Several key meetings scheduled to be held this month and in January as part of the fifth round of the Composite Dialogue are now unlikely to take place till Pakistan acts on India’s concerns, diplomatic sources said.
“All upcoming meetings have been put on hold. It definitely can’t be business as usual till matters related to the attacks and India’s demand for action against terrorist elements in Pakistan are addressed,” a source told PTI.
Indian officials have blamed the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba for the Mumbai attacks that killed 183 people. Besides seeking “strong action” against “elements from Pakistan” linked to the attacks, India has asked Pakistan to hand over 20 most wanted criminals and terrorists, including LeT founder Hafiz Mohammed Saeed.
Pakistan on Tuesday offered to conduct a joint investigation into the attacks and said it would frame a response to India’s list of wanted men after examining it.
The defence secretaries of the two countries had been expected to meet in January to discuss the Siachen issue. Though no dates had been finalised, sources said this meeting was unlikely to go ahead.
Other important upcoming meetings affected by the tension are those between the Secretaries for Commerce, Culture and Water Resources. A visit by a team from India’s Planning Commission, scheduled for this week, has also been put off.