Sinha rules out Indo-Pak parleys at SAARC meet

Sinha shot back at the media when prodded that the pace of normalising relations was rather slow: ‘‘This is not to be determined by the media. We will decide on it. Representatives of both countries will determine it. We have said we will move forward cautiously step by step. We are moving ahead in that direction.’’

Pointing out that the Pakistan High Commissioner-Designate to India Aziz Ahmed Khan is already here, Sinha said the Indian envoy, Shiv Shanker Menon, too will reach Islamabad soon. He underlined that these are ‘‘concrete developments’’ which cannot be overlooked while assessing the pace at which matters have moved since Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee announced the peace initiatives.

Meanwhile, visiting business delegates from Pakistan met Prime Minister Vajpayee who apparently assured them that New Delhi would support initiatives to improve trade between both countries.

Head of the delegation Senator Iliyas Ahmed Bilour later said they presented a joint memorandum prepared along with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry to the Prime Minister.