Foreign secretary-level talks would take place as per schedule: CCS

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) today decided that the foreign secretary-level talks would take place as per schedule on February 25 as it discussed the issue in the backdrop of the Pune blast.

The meeting, chaired by prime minister Manmohan Singh and attended by home minister P Chidambaram, fnance minister Pranab Mukherjee, external affairs minister SM Krishna and defence minister AK Antony thoroughly deliberated on the issue of forthcoming talks, sources said.

The hour-long meeting weighed pros and cons of going ahead with the talks as also the agenda that should figure in the parleys, they said. It was decided that Saturday's Pune blast should not affect the schedule of the talks between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan and these should take place.

However, the meeting was of the view that there would be a rethink if any more terror attack takes place, the sources said. National security adviser Shivshankar Menon, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao and Union home secretary  GK Pillai were also present during the CCS meeting.

Chidambaram provided an update on investigation into the blast. Emerging from the meeting, Chidambaram said, "I briefed the CCS on Pune blasts." Sources yesterday said there should be no "knee-jerk" reaction to the bomb attack.