Indo-Pak talk: A positive beginning

Pakistan on Tuesday agreed to allow an Indian commission to visit the country in connection with 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case probe there, setting a positive backdrop for the Prime Ministerial meeting in Mohali on Wednesday.

As is the saying well-begun is half-done, the two-day Indo-Pak Home Secretaries level talks have ended on positive note on the eve of the high voltage Semi Final match bertween the two neighbours. Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani are expected to visit Mohali on invitation from India side to see the Semi Final match between the two arch rivals, reflecting good intent from the Pakistani side.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi are likely to meet the Pakistani counterpart and talk. It is quiet natural that talks will be about improving the relations between the two, which have gone to their lowest ebb after Mumbai attack.

The two-day talks between the Home Secretaries of the two countries have prepared the ground and yielded good result. Pakistani side has also shown positivity towards improving the relations by allowing the Indian investigation team probing the 26/11 case to visit pakistan to interrogate the suspects, who are alleged to be there.A little flexibility is noticeable.

Though it is just a beginning, a lot more needs to be done by Pakistan to bring back the dialogue on right track. Because the perpetrators of 26/11 have their origins in Pakistan and the conspiracy about Mumbai attacks were allegedly hatched with the support and help of Pak military establishment and its notorious ISI. Otherwise, it is impossible to make preparation for the attack of such magnitude as was evident from attack sites and the loss of lives and property caused.

After the Mumbai attacks in 2008, all links with Pakistan were cut off. But with the passing of time, an atmosphere of positivity has developed between the two countries. The game of cricket has also given an opportunity to display sportsman spirit by both sides. Everything is right on the partof Pakistan except sponsoring cross-border terrorism, which is not only intolerable for India but also the entire world.