NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 6: Days before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh leaves for Cuba for the NAM summit, where he is expected to meet Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, top Left leaders will strengthen his hands by supporting his efforts to give momentum to the peace talks between the two neighbours.

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and CPI general secretary A B Bardhan will also back the Prime Minister on his stated position of “zero tolerance” on terrorism when they meet him before he leaves for Havana. The meeting is expected to take place on Thursday, Left sources said. They will advise him to raise the terror issue with Musharraf and tell him that Pakistan should do more in the fight against terrorism.

The decision to formally support the PM's efforts to give a push to the peace process was taken at a meeting of Left parties on Wednesday. “It is necessary for India to pin Pakistan down on the terror question. That is a prerequisite for any meaningful dialogue with Pakistan,” a top Left leader said after the meeting.

During earlier discussions with Left leaders, the PM had spoken of the need to go ahead with the dialogue process — which has been suspended at the foreign secretaries level.

He had said this was necessary to tackle the internal security question. The PM’s view, the Left leader said, was that a thaw was required at the official level.

The Left’s open show of support is also aimed at countering the BJP and the Sangh Parivar’s “jingoistic response” on the terror question.