The issue of 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai will be high on the agenda of the Indian delegation as it will enter "talk about talks" during the foreign secretary-level deliberations.
India will seek access to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and other handlers of the 26/11 terror attack during the foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan tomorrow, a "not very optimistic" home minister P Chidambaram said today.
The issue of 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai will be high on the agenda of the Indian delegation as it will enter "talk about talks" during the foreign secretary-level deliberations.
Speaking at the 'NDTV Indian of the Year Awards' function in New Delhi, Chidamabaram said these talks will be "without a preset agenda" with both sides bringing the issues that concern them to the table.
"We will bring to the table as the top issues terrorism, pending issues of 26/11, the need to arrest a number of people. I have just got the dossier ready...the need to give us access to those suspects or accused and then whatever Pakistan brings you can't stop the country from bringing on the table just as they can't stop us from bringing to the table what we think is important," he said.
According to Chidambaram, New Delhi is "not going to enter into substantive talks on these issues as the external affairs minister said these are talks about talks".
When asked if anything has emerged from Islamabad that makes the government optimistic, he said "optimism is a state of mind."
When pressed further on what his state of mind is, the home minister replied "not very optimistic". "We have not gone back on our position that Pakistan must take action against those who are behind the 26/11 attack nor have we diluted our stand that Pakistan must dismantle terror infrastructure and I think tomorrow you will find the foreign secretaries put forth these points firmly and clearly but how long can you say this is my stand. I stand here and I won't move at all...we can't change our neighbours.
"We have tried to change our neighbours' attitude and approach but we may not be successful even in that," Chidambaram said.
"We are going to the table without a pre-set agenda because we are talking about an agenda. So, when we go to the table we will take to the table issues that concern us...," he said.
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