Pak blocks bilateral visa pact,seeks political move

Pakistan later requested Chidambaram’s presence for few hours to sign the agreement. But the home minister declined to be part of the delegation,so that a strong message could go out that Pakistan needed to act against the perpetrators of the 26/11 terror attacks.

The trial and investigation are hobbling,and Pakistan has taken no concrete action against JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and other accused.

Replying to a question,Mathai said in Delhi,“Pakistan had invited Home Minister P Chidambaram who had said that he would visit that country at a convenient time.”

Mathai said that as per the decision taken during discussions between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Asif Ali Zardari in April,the visa agreement was to be signed during the home secretary talks.

But,he said,“We also have reports that the Pakistani side referred to some delay in its procedure and the Pakistan Interior Minister’s (Rehman Malik) desire for political participation in signing of the visa pact.”

“Both sides had attached a lot of importance on signing the visa agreement”,Mathai added.

In Islamabad,Malik said Pakistan had decided “in principle” to liberalise the visa regime with India,but the signing of the pact had been postponed. The agreement should be finalised at the political level,he said.

In response to a question,Malik said he “would be glad” if Chidambaram came to Islamabad to sign the visa pact.

Malik met the Indian delegation led by Home Secretary R K Singh,who held talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khwaja Siddique Akbar. Singh was accompanied by IB chief Nehchal Sandhu and NIA director S C Sinha at the two-day talks that ended today.

The minister said the two sides had exchanged dossiers on terrorism-related issues,and Pakistan had received additional evidence from India against Hafiz Saeed. But Pakistan could not act on “hearsay”,and would examine the evidence,he said.

Malik said the issue of India’s alleged interference in Balochistan too had been discussed,and Interior Secretary Akbar had been directed to provide “evidence” of it to his Indian counterpart.

He said the two countries should give up the “blame game” and work together to tackle terrorism. (With PTI)