The feedback will be seen as a benchmark by which New Delhi will decide whether to restart dialogue with Pakistan.
Josy Joseph & Amir Mir
New Delhi/ Lahore: The government will change tack to determine Pakistan’s sincerity in fighting terrorism when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets President Pervez Musharraf in Havana this week.
The tactical shift is part of India’s effort to reactivate a dialogue with Pakistan. It will emphasise less on traditional demands like the extradition of ‘20 most wanted’ terrorists, including Dawood Ibrahim, said to be hiding in the country.
Instead, India will seek Pakistan’s cooperation in investigations into the series of recent blasts, including those in Mumbai on July 11.
“Different tactics are used at different times,” a senior external affairs ministry official told DNA.
After the Mumbai blasts, Musharraf had said, “Whosoever has done this cannot be pardoned. I assure Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the Pakistan government and I myself are with him in any investigation that he wants to carry out.”
The official said the PM will take Musharraf up on his offer and convey India’s desire to see serious “cooperation” from Pakistan.
A senior officer pointed out that Pakistani links have clearly emerged in the investigations into the blasts in Mumbai, Delhi, Varanasi, and Ayodhya.
“In a whole lot of our investigations we are stuck with leads regarding involvement of people from Pakistan. Since we cannot go in and investigate, let them help us out,” he said.
The feedback will be seen as a benchmark by which New Delhi will decide whether to restart the dialogue, which was called off after 11/7.
The only obstacle to such ground-level cooperation has been India’s lack of confidence in sharing “live data” with Islamabad. But the officials said they wouldn’t mind it because “this would be the most credible measure” of Pakistan’s commitment.
Foreign ministry officials in Islamabad expressed ignorance about the agenda for the upcoming meeting, and said Pakistan stands by its offer of cooperation.
A senior official said Pakistan would extend all possible help to India, provided the investigation is not based on pre-conceived notions.
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